The Proper Thing
by PrettyPoshPrincess
Summary: Rosalie Hale has always wanted a family of her own with her long time girlfriend, Isabella Swan. But with a relationship on hiatus, cheating scandals, and hidden secrets on top of Bella's inability to commit to anything too serious; will Rosalie ever get her wish? Will the relationship last that long? Will Rosalie have to go it all alone? Femslash Futa Warning! 18 and older only.
1. Chapter 1: Falling Apart

**Hi people….can you believe I finally decided to do this FF thing, well that's if they don't decide to remove it within the next few hours. Anyway, as is custom, here's your disclaimer. I do not own any recognizable Twilight characters, my imagination is that developed. It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. All I own is the plot and a few characters throughout the story. Oh yeah and the lovely changes to your fave characters. Alrighty, that's my first and last disclaimer. That being said, I hope you enjoy my story and review please. Next upload at review number 10.**

**RPOV**

Resting my head back on my chair, I daydreamed of simpler times when my head didn't feel like somebody ran over it with a semi. It was a much more laidback time, when my life actually made sense. Filled with garden parties on manicured lawns, expensive cars, Girl Scout meetings on Saturdays, and big mansion like houses…The life a lot of people dream of for themselves and their families. Everything was structured and schedules included play time with the children of your mother's friends. It was never a question whether or not you would go to college and you could pretty much bet that you would want for anything.

Those are the kind of things I become accustomed to. The life I still live. The life I want for my own children one day. Only one problem…okay, you caught me, only a few problems. According to my parents and their entire social circle, my biggest problem is that I'm the token lesbian. I'm the proverbial rotten egg in our lily white baskets. My career was going well and I was on my way to a partner position so I could certainly afford to support a family. However, the only real issue in the way of my dream life was the on-again, off-again relationship with my longtime girlfriend Isabella Swan.

Apparently the only thing I ever did right in my entire life was attending Harvard University. But, it's not like I had much of a choice. My mother and father both attended Harvard. There wasn't a point in my life that I didn't know what university I would attend. By the time I was ten, I knew exactly who I was and would become. I'm not talking about who my mommy and daddy are or that I wanted to be a princess. Oh no. I was the child that teachers hated. I always knew to answer "My name is Rosalie Lillian Hale of the Washington Hales. Yes, the Drs. Hale are of relation. Yes, all three. I will attend Harvard University and I will be an attorney." What ten year olds, that you of know, run down their entire family tree?

Life was essentially handed to me on a platter from the time I was born into the world. I had everything as a kid. Growing up I went to the best prep schools and when the time came, I attended the best boarding schools at the strong insistence of my mother who was determined to detour my plans from the practice of law towards the "more respectable" medical profession. Heavens forbid, I wanted to be a teacher or anything remotely close to it. I would have been disowned altogether. However, in retrospect, it would have eliminated all the awkward conversations later in life when I came out to my family.

Coming out was the hardest thing I had ever done. I knew my parents were going to have heart attacks when they found out and I tried to make it easier by assuring them that it was what made me happy. Needless to say they were up in arms, ready to send out a militia to hunt down whoever had corrupted their daughter. Things only got worse when they met Isabella. She was everything they didn't want for me.

Isabella Swan was, and is, a success story if there ever was one. That, of course, was something I realized the first time I met her. Bee lived her whole life in Chicago with her mother and three sisters. They never had much or did much but Bee was really smart. She used her intelligence to her benefit and made it to college and eventually medical school. I was proud of all the things she had accomplished. Gender and status aside, Bee seemed like a person my parents would have chosen for me. But when they met her, all it took was one look at the disgusted scowls on their faces and their upturned noses to know I was wrong. They reprimanded me for associating myself with common trash and all the other things they could think of but, eventually it came down to an ultimatum before they accepted her place in my life. Since then, they had had maintained a civil relationship but never anything deeper than that. I loved her and as time when on it grew deeper than I could ever have imagined. Then a month ago, it all fell apart.

Getting annoyed with the twist my train of thought had taken, I turned away from the window of my office and faced the door. Absently closing the file on my desk, I tapped my perfectly manicured fingers against it before deciding to call it a night. I was nothing if not dedicated. My work ethic bordered on workaholic, but I enjoyed my job. Still, it was after seven on a Friday night and I was already late for dinner at my friends in Bethesda. As was tradition since our first meeting in law school, Alice and I got together to relax and let our hair down. Rising from my desk, I picked up my brief Ali and slide into my trench coat. Looking back at my office to make sure I had everything, I headed out for the weekend.

Alice Brandon, my less refined best friend, was standing on her front porch waiting for me when I arrived with a look that said she was out for blood. Parking right behind her and grabbing my more comfortable shoes from the backseat, I got out of the car and prepared to face the clearly expressed music.

"Hey Ali," I said.

"Oh no you don't Miss Rosalie. You aint comin' up in here actin' like that. What's wrong with you? I been callin' you all day and no answer. Your secretary's voice ain't that cute, ya know," Alice said letting her true mannerisms come to the forefront while encapsulating me in a hug. It was rare that Alice wasn't affectionate, that's just how she is. But, it was rare that she called me Miss Rosalie. I wonder what I did now. It seems like all the women in my life are angry with me for one reason or another.

"I'm sorry seriously, just tired. It's been a really long week," I said looking for an excuse, but unable to find anything to satisfy her. Ali looked me over once and although she seemed skeptical, she didn't voice her opinion. I could tell she was still worried about me. She hadn't made any attempt to hide how she felt about my separation from Bee. Over the past month, Ali has called and checked on me so much I felt like I had a second mother. But, I felt grateful that I had her because the first week was hard and every one after seemed increasingly more difficult than the last. For all Bee's half-baked apologies the first few days, I had yet to receive a real apology. At this point, I wasn't getting any apologies, real or otherwise, which was what hurt me most of all. After all this time, it was like she had given up or didn't care all. I could feel myself reaching the verge of tears, so I focused on Alice.

Ushering me into the kitchen, Alice told me all about her day and how things were in the corporate world. From the way she described her day, I was ready to pull my hair out. I had it rough but she obviously had the shorter end of the stick. I guess that was why I chose to specialize in family law instead of business law. The idea of spending all day controlling what money went towards what investments never clicked in my mind. But, Alice always had been intelligent and business savvy so I knew she did a better job than she gave herself credit for.

After grabbing a plate and loading it down with all the baked chicken and pasta I could handle, we sat around trading office gossip for what seemed like hours. Just as I was about to inquire about our friend Esme's absence from dinner, Alice's girlfriend Victoria came home. After she told me all about Esme's new "man friend" and their date I decided to go home for the evening. Once we cleaned up our dinner dishes, I said goodnight to Alice and made drive to my apartment.

When I had showered and was situated against the fluffy pillows of my bed, I pulled up the down comforter and lay there thinking. Thinking and re-thinking my research and new angles to approach my cases from until sleep overtook me and I drifted into a dreamless abyss.

Two hours later I was awoken by the incessant ringing of my phone on my bedside table. Without looking at the caller I.D., I put the phone to my ear in a sleep induced stupor.

Hello.

Rosalie, honey, is this a bad time?

No, Mother, I'm just lying in bed. What do you need?

Oh, I keep forgetting about the time difference darling. I could call at a more respectable hour.

No need, I was probably going to be up soon anyway. How's daddy?

Your father is fine. Sue Swan called me this morning, you know.

Did she really, how is sh-

Rosalie Lillian Hale, you know exactly how she is and what she said. I won't pretend that I'm okay with this 'thing' you have with this Swan girl but all of this bickering like school children has to stop. End it now Rosalie, and get your life together.

Mother, I love you, but I'm an adult and whatever happens with us from this point is our business.

I just hope you're making the right decision Rosalie. You are always talking about the family you want. With your life the way it is, how can you raise children?

It's too late for this conversation. I will talk to Isabella when the time is right. I love you mother.

That's all I ask, goodnight.

Goodnight.

Placing my phone back on the table, I shift under my sheets trying to find a comfortable spot, but nothing could assuage the guilt I felt for putting Bee out so many, many nights ago. Still as much as I longed for her presence and loved her, I couldn't seem to forgive her. I need her, but don't want her. I want to be near her, and far away from her all at the same time. No matter what, I know my feelings for her won't change. Sadly, her feelings for me already have.

**BPOV**

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What the hell!

God I'm sweating like a damn bitch in heat right now; what a crock of shit. Fuck you, Jonah, and fuck your whack ass building manager job. What the hell! Son of a bitch! Here I am, attempting to come home after a long ass day at work and I still can't get into my own door, because this asshole won't get up and fix anything around this godforsaken dump of an apartment building.

I should be chest deep in the bathtub, buck naked with my woman… Mmmmm… my woman, slowly moving between her beautiful long ass legs, making the fuck sure she knows how much I love and adore her. But no, I'm not. I'm here, fucking wiggling the fucking key and getting myself all pissed off...  
Because even if I weren't here, I'm still not sure if I would be spending this time with her! Cause I fucked up, and I fucked up big time… Is there really any other way to fuck up, if not big time?

I don't even know if there is an _'US'_ anymore. So here I am, my side swept bang sticking to my fucking head, my scrub pants are stuck to my fucking legs, and my white lab coat feels like it is painted to my chest. OK, back to the job at hand, getting into this fucking apartment without hurting myself or anything else for that matter. I hear a door open, shit, great. Now I have a fucking audience to watch me make a fucking fool of myself, fan-fucking-tastic, peachy keen… Fuck, did I really just think that... shit... I am turning into Rosalie.

I fall back against the wall facing the door leaning over, putting my hands on my knees, just to get some air. Fuck it's hot! But it's not fucking working. I decide to glance to my right just to see who the hell is watching me, and maybe get a look at their face, just to see what the hell they're thinking. And there's no one there. No matter how much I wish it were.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and mentally pat myself on the back for being such a good girl. And here we go again. I straighten up and face the fucking front door, I put the God damn key back in the lock and wiggle it a little, and then I hear it, the sound I've been waiting for all morning, the click, the click that tells me I'm in, the click that tells me I did it, the click that tells me I finally made it. _'Cause I'm a fucking genius.'_ Now I can breathe. I plop my bag and jacket down on the floor, and make my way in. I need a drink! So I head for the fridge.

The wine is cold, and I knock it back like my life depends on it, and right now it fucking does. I hear the footsteps on the hardwood first, and I look around in time to get myself hurled to the ground, hurting my ass bone in the process. 'Shit that hurt, and it's going to leave a fucking bruise, asshole!' I scream at him, but he just keeps pushing me hard to the floor. He's still on top of me – shit he's heavy, the fucking fat ass – but ya have to give him his due.

He looks at me weirdly._ He's so God damn cute. _Then the kisses start, and he has the biggest, longest, fucking tongue I have ever seen. Fuck me! I need to breathe. He needs to get the fuck off me now, so I start to push him, but he's having none of it. He just keeps pushing and kissing and pushing and kissing, then the licking… Well the fucking licking is getting too much, and he really has to get the fuck off me. So I start yelling at him, "Rocko... ROCKO, stop! Get the fuck off! ROCKO, get off. ROCKO HEEL!" and bingo, we have lift off.

Rocko is looking up at me with his big sad and sorry eyes. He knows something's wrong. He's looking around like he's expecting someone else to walk in, and he's right, there should be someone else with me, but there's not, because I fucked up big time. I need that someone else, and I need her right now. Last night, just thinking about her had my cock standing at attention. That damn woman was going to be the death of me.

I can still remember the first time she blew me off in the shower, the look on her face while I pounded in to her, and the feel of her bouncing up and down on me with streams of obscenities flowing out of her mouth. All moments when she should have pushed me away for being a freak, but she didn't. She loved me anyway. And even as high maintenance as she is I love her too. The woman has my heart.


	2. Chapter 2: Breaker's Remorse

**Wow, you guys are awesome. I asked for 10 reviews and got 14! I'm so glad you all liked the first chapter. I meant to have this posted yesterday, but my friends took me out for a birthday/St. Patty's celebration. Anyway, I hope you like this! Since you guys did so great last time, only 5 reviews until the next chapter!**

**RPOV**

I woke up and lay in bed for what seemed like forever, but sadly this is the new weekend routine. I couldn't bring myself to remove my body from the comfort of my bed, and risk feeling like my heart was about to burst through my rib cage. The way I missed Bee was getting ridiculous and I was ready to call a truce. I was prepared to admit I was wrong, even though that couldn't have been further from the truth. I would do just about anything to fix this relationship.

Sometimes, I worried that I loved Isabella too much, that maybe I was losing sight of what it was like to be an individual person. I don't really know what it feels like to be ME anymore, because I've worked so hard at maintaining an US. The thing nobody ever thought to mention before I decided to put in all that time, however, is that you had to be certain the person you wanted craved you just as much.

With Bee, _I was_ never, no _I am_ never sure. Regardless to what is going on with us, I want to believe that we will make it through this. Or maybe that's just me being overly optimistic again. But that's the thing with Bella. You can never really tell because one minutes she's all in, ready to give you the world. The next she may be trying to keep you away with a ten foot pole. That's the way our relationship has always been. This explains why, after five years, we still live in separate apartments on different sides of town and aren't considering marriage in the slightest.

Bee may be what I consider perfect for me, but she far from perfect. I feared that I may never fully trust her again even though I loved her to the point of no return. She's hurt me so many times, it's become the norm. She cheated; lied, used me and I just keep coming back. She never apologized. I didn't argue. I'd leave her, cry to the people that cared about me, and run right back to her. I was hopelessly obsessed with her. No matter how much she hurt me, I would beg for her to come back to me. I would shoulder the blame. All the while, thinking that if I had just been better, more perfect she wouldn't treat me the way she does. I was wrong and I knew that now.

I know…I know, right now you're thinking it sounds like she doesn't want a life with me. Lately, I've been thinking that myself. More often than not over the last year and a half, we have been fighting about the most trivial things. It scares me because we never used to argue. I don't get how we could go from being the envy of all our friends to having to go to them for advice.

Still, if I were completely honest with myself, I know that the problems in our relationship are older and more complicated than any one of them can help me understand. Too be honest, we had always had problems. From the beginning, it was like I was living in a fairy tale. Pretending to the outside world that all was perfect, crying in private every time my world would crumble around me. At first, I would go it alone but things changed and I couldn't handle the burden alone anymore. Eventually though, even my friends we tired of hearing it. Something had to done.

The past year, I spent time in counseling, without Bee knowing, trying to figure it all out. The eventual conclusion was that I'm not the one with the problem. I was probably enabling Bee and allowing her to behave the way she was but there was nothing wrong with me. That stark realization was the beginning of a string of never ending arguments for us. I was determined to assert control over my life and if that meant seeing past the haze of love, then it had to happen.

What had started out as Bee dancing with girls who I knew she'd slept with in a club escalated to World War III proportions because I started to second guess not only our relationship, but also myself. Although Isabella does many sweet things for me and says she loves me, she has a funny way of showing it. It's one thing to have a busy schedule and not be able to see each other, but for me to take her out so we could have fun together and see her dancing with some random girl, set me off. I'm normally not the jealous type but something about her behaviors towards me and I just couldn't take it.

And okay, so maybe I was overreacting but how would you feel if everybody and everything was always more important than spending time and having a relationship with you. Honestly, it came as no surprise that when I looked over at my alarm clock, tears were streaming down my face and I came to the startling conclusion that, although I loved her, she would never love me back.

Picking up my phone, I called the only person I could think of. After three rings the phone picked up.

"Mom" I said in what sounded like a really small voice despite my best attempt.

"Rosalie, dear, what's wrong? You never call me Mom, anymore. Are you hurt? Do we need to come home?" my mother said sounding panicked.

"Never mind Mom, sorry—"

"No, Rosalie. I've let you alone long enough. You call me, obviously upset, in the middle of the day, without a reason. I've been around long enough, and know you well enough to know that it's probably about Isabella. She's probably done something to make you feel like this. Why is this time different? Tell me what's going on," she ordered.

"She doesn't love me, Mom. We don't talk or spend any time together, and we haven't for a long time. It's down to the point where all we can do without arguing is have sex. She wants to be with someone else, be somewhere else, but never with me." I sniffed and hugged my pillow to me. The despair and feelings of being unwanted welled inside me and threatened to drag me under. I gripped onto the pillow as if it were a lifeline keeping me afloat in a sea of uncertainty.

"Did she say that?"

I paused. "Not to me, but . . ."

"No buts here, Rose. Have you talked to her about it?"

"No, but . . ."

"I said no buts. The answer is either yes or no. There is no room for excuses here. You are always welcome to call, and you can talk to me as long as you like, but as long as you insist on being in this relationship, you need to talk to your girlfriend when you have concerns." Her voice was no nonsense, and I suspected that the sympathy and compassion I wanted to find here were in short supply.

"Yes ma'am, I have to go pick up some groceries. I'll call you later." I said looking for an excuse to end our less than pleasant or assuring conversation. Hanging up the phone, I lay there embracing the quiet and melancholy feeling surrounding me until Alice eventually arrived to pull me out of my depressed stupor.

**BPOV**

As I walked through O'Hare, I prayed that this visit home would help me clear my head at least a little bit. I spotted my sisters with ease, noticeable my the flock of me that surrounded them. Rolling my eyes as I walked over, I began to pity the poor suckers. If only they knew about the small army of children those three produced, then they may not have been so eager to get to know them. Clearing my throat, I called there attention to me as I broke through the crowd.

"BEE!" They all shouted looking around me as if they were trying to find the other half of my body.

"Hey, what's up? Where are the kids?" At the mention of the word 'kids' the surrounding crowd seemingly disbursed.

"Home with Mama Sue, where's my sister-in-law?" Tanya said.

"I'm not married, but if you're referring to Rosalie, she's home I suppose. I wouldn't really know." I replied.

My sisters simultaneously shook their heads in disapproval, while Kate and Irina seemed angrier than Tanya. Knowing that they were pretty taken with Rosalie when she'd visited before, I knew they were probably trying to figure out what I had done. By the time we made it to baggage claim, I was more than ready for the weekend to be home.

The Clearwater Family Reunion was a time honored tradition and we never ceased to grow in number with each passing year. People came from all over the country. From Leah and Seth, our cousins across town or Emily, Sam, and their team of children from California we were never in short supply of family members. In all honesty, though, was loud, rambunctious and overly obnoxious as things got when they were around I loved it. It was the only time of year I got to see all of my family together and that meant a lot to me.

Given that my father left us, when I was still a toddler, to shack up with his long-time mistress Renee the Clearwaters were the only family I really had. And believe you me there were more than enough members to go around several times. Resting my head rest, I prepared for what was shaping up to be a long weekend. But, that didn't stop the near constant thoughts of Rosalie. The nagging pestering voice in the back of my head kept screaming at me to call her and fix this, but I hushed it all up as soon as it started. What was the point when she wouldn't let go of the past?

Getting out of the car I was tackled to the grass by my nephews and my niece Sasha. Breaking through the pack, I hoisted Sasha up on my back while I tickled the boys within an inch of their lives. By the time we had gotten ourselves under control, it was almost time for dinner. Ushering the kids inside after I grabbed my bag, I wasn't shocked to see how many family members had already descended upon us.

_Now I know why we're having hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner!_

After washing up and changing I joined my siblings and mother in the kitchen as they prepared dinner. Looking up as I entered, they all smiled and went back to work. Irina, who was seven months pregnant with her third child, who I hoped was a boy sat at the island slicing potatoes for home fries while Tanya made chili and Kate made lemonade. Smiling to myself, I thought of how nice it was to see my family happy. So many nights before, I remembered Mama having to feed us whatever she could find in her pantry when all the money ran out.

Sighing to myself, I sat next to Irina and began peeling potatoes as I awaited the Spanish Inquisition. Of course, knowing the women in my family I wouldn't be waiting long. Five minutes later, my mother was the first to speak. Of course….

"Isabella, I talked to Didyme today, what's going on with you and my sweet girl?" She asked. Honestly, if I didn't know any better, I would swear my family loved Rosalie more than they did me.

"Hmm, I can't imagine Didyme calling you, so you must have initiated this call. There's nothing going on between us. How can there be when we're separated?" I replied passively. To which they all turned to glare at me as if I had just insulted Jesus.

"Isabella, I don't know what you did, and considering your track record I'm sure I don't want to know. But, this has gone on long enough. Sure, you've broken up before. That never lasted more than a week. This is serious. Whatever you did to that sweet child you need to fix it, or so help me-just fix it." My mother said in a serious tone, that was deathly quiet. It was like she was whispering to make me listen.

"How does everybody just know it's my fault? Rosalie isn't perfect you know." I said like a child who had just been reprimanded.

"Because it always is." All four of them said simultaneously.

Well damn…even my family is against me. Fuck. My. Life.


	3. Chapter 3: Can You Handle It?

**First off, just let me say thanks for all the wonderful reviews. One shy of five, but I wanted to reward you guys dedication. I totally agree with most of you. Bee is an asshole. CRaVeMe1991, I know right! Bee has got to get it together and fast. I felt so bad for Rosalie last chapter. Where's Jasper when we need him? Well, here's to hoping you enjoy this next part. As per usual, reviews make me happier and the chapters come faster.**

**RPOV**

11:40…..

You know that feeling in your gut, when you just know the day is going to be the epitome of all that is wrong with the world? Yeah? Me too. From Monday onward this week has been like hell in a cell, with no tap outs. I just wanted to crawl into a dark corner and hide, and maybe, God willing get some sleep for once. This week had already seen some of my worse moments. At the least, I was ready to commit myself. By the time today rolled around, though, I even more of was a nervous wreck. Not only was I sexually frustrated, but all of my hard work was down the drain. After four years of winning every case, I lost. Somebody find the signup sheet and a straight jacket.

Looking at the clock, I fought the urge to throw a temper tantrum like a little girl. After working all day, I was exhausted and all the emotional turmoil was weighing heavily on me. There wasn't anything to help my chronic sleeplessness but Bee. And as usual, she was nowhere to be found. The weekend had passed uneventfully, much like the following Monday, and I was glad for that. My parents were retired and still vacationing in Italy, so I wasn't really expecting any surprise visits from my mother. My younger brother, Jasper, was once again away at school, and I had done all my shopping. A blessing in disguise is what I called it. Had I been with Bee that would make for a great weekend. Sadly, as my body had no problem reminding me, I was all alone. Still, I'm a grown woman and I have needs. I refuse to cheat, but I haven't had sex in a month.

Outside of my personal life, work had me about to pull every strand of my hair out. But, by the point that I lost it wasn't about me anymore. I was focused and hoped to maintain my perfect record, but that meant nothing. I was a non-factor in the equation of a broken family. It pained to see my client lose her daughter to the child's biological parent for the sake of her own selfishness. The Garvin's were a good family, and I promised to do everything in my power to get their little girl back home to them. When I arrived home this evening, I checked my phone messages and poured myself a glass of wine while I waited for my bathtub to fill. After a nice, long bubble bath I called Alice to let her know that I wouldn't make it to dinner on Friday. Once she completed her firing squad of questions, I curled up in my covers and went to sleep.

As I lay their recapping my day in my head, I felt myself starting to drift off to sleep. For the second time tonight, I fell asleep silently praying that I could avoid work tomorrow.

The next morning, I woke up well before sunrise, unable to sleep. As I tiptoed my way to the kitchen, I began to wake up even more quickly throwing all hopes of going back to sleep out of the window. Seeing a flashing light on the answering machine, I pressed the button and let the message play as I made coffee.

_Rosalie, it's Bee I know you're mad at me and all but I think we need to get together and talk this thing out. We need to make this right….I guess you're sleep so…just let me know. Bye._

Just hearing Bee's soft voice made me want to melt. As infuriating as she is, I could never love anybody the way I love her. I remember the night we first met and the way her eyes watched me from across the room. I was so shocked and apprehensive I left the party after only two dances. But, Bee followed me, everywhere it seemed, until I finally gave in and agreed to a date with her. It was probably one of the best things I've ever done. Still, that was a different time and we were different people. The older we got the more work got in the way. She was perpetually on call and I was always working late. She was unfaithful and I kept longing for the girl I used to know. It doesn't surprise me, now, that we are in our predicament.

I missed her though. I missed waking up and seeing her lying next to me on the nights that she stayed over. I missed running my fingers through her dark brown hair while we watched TV together and having someone to talk to when things weren't going so good at work. I missed my support system and I wanted it back. Picking up my cell phone I called Bee's phone knowing that she was probably working, screwing, or sleeping. I left her a message accepting her offer for Saturday and waited. One thing is for sure. Saturday would be interesting. Picking up my coffee mug, I went back to my room to watch the morning news and await my mother's second daily phone call.

Saturday came quickly and I found myself getting anxious as I sat in the salon chair getting my hair done. Jessica and I have standing appointments and regardless to how topsy-turvy I have felt these last few weeks, I love going to get my hair and nails done every two weeks. It makes me feel better. It's like a mini vacation. Sitting in front of the shampoo bowl, I wait for Karen to return from servicing her other client.

Controlling the urge to laugh hysterically when she asked me about cutting my hair, I told her I would wait a while longer and let her know. In all honesty, I would never cut my hair. I took me so long to grow it that the thought of cutting any of it off makes me shudder. But also because Bee likes it long. Why change that? After getting the latest gossip, getting my hair shampooed until it was back to its original glory, and freshening up my manicure, I made my way home to get ready for the party. Regardless to what we were going through, we had to put on a good face and be there for our friends. I have no doubt that we'll argue plenty more before this is solved but we'd make it out alright, together or apart.

**BPOV**

I arrived at Rosalie's ten minutes ahead of time, knowing how she hated me being late. It was like I had some kind of internalized schedule worked out to accommodate all of her needs. After three weeks of not seeing or talking to her, I couldn't help the stunned expression I had upon seeing her. Rosalie looked at me when she answered the door and almost instantly looked away. All the while, my eyes took in every inch of her delectable body and I prayed to God and anybody else that would listen that I made it through the night without losing my cool.

I was perfectly happy with the status quo – our regular routine of life as a couple was anything but boring. Arguments were more and more often now, but sex was still frequent and spontaneous, and the cooking was like the dishes Grandma used to make. When the time clock sounded, I was among the first to my vehicle in a hurry to enjoy the comforts of home. I wasn't receiving any type of "comforts" lately. Twenty-nine days. This had been anything but normal.

After calling to cancel our own club date, I decided to go out alone. Apparently, cancelling wasn't going to stop Rosalie from having fun that night. Instead she just invited her friends. I never expected my escapade to collide with Rosalie's adventure at our favorite club. Even more surprising was that I was in the middle of smacking Jessica's beautiful ass when I turned and noticed her. She played it off well. Laughing, she told me to order her a drink and we all sat down together. To the rest of the crew we were the perfect loving couple; but I could feel the cold tension of her body against me. I could see it when our eyes connected as she slid into the passenger seat of the car. On the way home I prepared to explain my actions for most of the night. However, Rosalie gave me another surprise by playing soft music and taking a bubble bath – all without uttering a word to me.

I sat in the arm chair by the bedroom door kicking myself for giving in to the obvious temptation. She was making me sweat. From, experience, I knew she couldn't hold out. Rosalie was just as hot for me as I was for her which explained why our arguments were so few until now. When Rosalie emerged from the bathroom, her lips were sealed while she prepared for bed. Transfixed by the sight, I watched as she smoothed lotion on her body. Rosalie's hands glided across places I had memorized and often daydreamed about while at work. The silence was deafening. With twitching hands, I escaped to the bathroom to take a shower, more than a little worried that her stalemate wouldn't end before morning.

My hope was renewed as I slid into bed next to her and noticed she was topless. Usually, when I fucked up, Rosalie would put on her "don't-touch-me" pajamas consisting of lounge pants and a t-shirt. She may have already relented. Dancing in the club tended to get us more than a little hot for each other. Carefully, I slipped my hand across her waist and pulled her closer to me. The scent of her lotion tickled my nose and my libido. Coasting up her stomach, my fingertips inching toward her ample breasts; but before I could complete my mission, she spoke.

"Why don't you find that tramp you were spanking and play with her breasts? You aren't playing with these. Go away."

She pulled away from me and settled into a deep, comfortable sleep. Disappointed, I fluffed up my pillows and settled back for a long night of frustrated ardor. For a whole week, I spent seven sleepless, horny nights feeling her body next to mine as she fidgeted in her slumber. Rosalie made it extremely difficult strutting around the house after work half-nude and brushing up against me in the boy shorts I surprised her with when I was still in her good graces. The book in my lap was quickly forgotten as I watched her stretch to dust the entertainment center, her ass just beckoned me. Her activities weren't anything out of the ordinary, except on a regular day I would be able to grab her and have my way with her. Being the persistent person that I am, I continued to try again and again. Each time I was shot down with the same response.

"Bee, I'm not in the mood for you."

Shit. Bee, I'm not in the mood for you. I had heard that more times this past month than I cared to recall. Bee, I'm not in the mood for you. Fuck, I was horny. As soon as I saw what she was wearing, I knew the torture was only just beginning. The royal blue dress had a flared hem that provided the good access that I loved so much. She must have gone out to dinner. Just thought of somebody else seeing her in that made me want to jump her bones. Fuck, I needed her. This was getting downright criminal. I could sue, but seriously, she's been to law school.

"Hey Baby." I said seductively flashing the dimples she loved while grabbing her waist, pulling her close to me when she opened the door.

"Bee, if all you called for was sex, I'm telling you upfront I'm not in the mood for you right now. You can get sex anywhere. If you want this to work we have to actually talk and stop thinking sex will solve all our problems. If I recall, it's one of the main problems." Rosalie replied coolly stepping away and going to sit across the room.

"Well damn, when are you going to be in the fucking mood?" I snapped. "Shit, you haven't been in the mood all month." I shouted as I paced the length of her living room

Her sigh was heavy and irritated. "I'm not doing this. We can talk about the problems but I refuse to hop right into bed with you like it never happened."

As soon as she turned to leave the room, I grabbed her hand. That wasn't the best approach. "Baby, it was just a girl. We've gone to that club dozens of times."

"I know we have – together. You didn't behave that way when we're there - together. You know what it took for me to even agree to go there at all, and then you go and do that. Is this is how you disrespect me when we're apart? I bet you do it at work too huh?" Rosalie asked.

"No, I don't disrespect you." _Unless sleeping around counts, but I have needs too_, I thought trying my hardest to keep a straight face.

"How am I supposed to be sure about that? It's not like you haven't before, right? And then, all of my friends saw you. Whatever, Isabella, that's nothing but a bunch of bullshit. How do you expect me not to be angry?" Rosalie's voice was steadily raising and I knew she was about two seconds away from slapping me when I heard her curse. Still, instead of being scared, I was turned on hearing my girl lose her training and slip into her wilder side. However, I couldn't tell her that and I damn sure couldn't act on it.

"Okay Baby, I understand and I'm sorry. Please believe I don't disrespect you when we're apart but you're cutting me off like I cheated or something. It's like you don't even care about me." I pleaded my case even though she didn't know exactly how true that statement had been since I last saw her.

"Are you kidding me right now, Isabella? If it's anybody that doesn't care, it's you. I invited you over because I worried about you, and surprisingly still wanted to be with you. First, it was work taking priority over me. Did I push you on it? I never did and I never do, because you love your job more than me. And that's cool, you know. At least I know that. But when you start pulling this shit, sleeping with all the women in the district and treating me like a doormat, I'm done. I can't keep fighting for a relationship you don't want with me.

You're done? You're done?! What the hell does that even mean Rosalie? She was out of her damn mind if she thought that was the end of this conversation.

"Just what I said Bee, please just go," she said as she walked towards the door.

"No, I'm not going anywhere. We are going to discuss this. Why is it every time we start arguing you have to find some way out of the conversation, hmm?" I said coming to a full stop and glaring at her. I was seriously hurt that she didn't care enough to even try anymore.

"I don't know Bee. It could possibly be because I don't want to sit around and see the look on your face when you tell me about how you're having sex with some tramp on your lunch break. I'm sorry that I'm not enough for you but I'll be damned if I cry when I know I did everything I could. I love you and you threw all that away on some girl. But hey it doesn't matter. You won't commit to a life with me. Maybe one of them can do a better job." She screamed back, tears running down her face.

Instinctively, I slid down the wall and sat on the floor looking for a way to explain myself to Rosalie. As I ran my hand over my face, I continuously drew a blank on what to say to make it better. Taking my time, I didn't realize how my passive behavior appeared to her until I heard the unmistakable sobs of the woman I love, a split second before I was slapped across the face.

Oww dammit Rosalie, I screamed as I grabbed her wrists and pulled her down to me.

"Let me go, Bee. I hate you. I swear to God, I hope you're happy because I will never love you again." Rosalie said trying to break free.

Her rant was interrupted by my mouth on hers. Momentarily she responded, sliding her arms around my neck and leaned into me. Then she was pushing away.

"No, Bee, we can't do this anymore. I love you, but it's about time I started loving me again too. I'm not going back to what we had. We can't keep doing this to each other. And don't say you'll fix it, it can't be fixed. If you want to be with me, things will have to change. If not, I'm done. I mean it. Can you handle that?" Rosalie said with the most serious expression I had ever seen on her beautiful face.

_Could I handle that? Was I ready to give it all up?_


	4. Chapter 4: Resurgence and Reparations

**It's been a long class day, but I spent the last two hours writing this for you all. As always I am glad you like it, and I am more than happy to churn out the chapters when I have such awesome reviewers. I think you will like this chapter, although, I can't promise anything….Oh yeah, and while I'm at it, I'm looking for new things to read here. Any recommendations? You guys are great. Stay golden.**

**RPOV**

I felt Bella's body tense, and I realized that she actually had a decision to make. Stupid, I know. But to me, the options seemed pretty clear. Either we things changed or I left her for good. Pretty cut and dry to me. I mean it would be a punishment for me either way. I knew things wouldn't change overnight and if she chose not to change, I would be the one who was hurt. Although, I guess, from her perspective she was caught between two good things. Don't get me wrong, I knew that I was obviously the better choice. Still, I could see why an unencumbered life would appeal to her too. At the very least, then she wouldn't have to worry about having to stay faithful.

Even though I died a little more with each passing second, I sat there for the next ten minutes focusing on my breathing pattern, just waiting for her to put me out of my misery and tell me an answer. Eventually, I felt her arms wrap around me even tighter and I heard her take a deep sigh. All the while, my body was going haywire. I was on the verge of an anxiety attack. I could feel it coming and it seemed to be just a breath away until she spoke.

"Honestly, Ro, I don't know. But I want to try." Bee said and okay, so maybe that's not what I wanted her to say, but it was a step in the right direction. I knew I had to be careful though. I wasn't letting Bee get the best of me. Regardless she wouldn't like the days ahead.

When I said I wanted her to change, I meant it. But I was also aware of the fact that I needed to change too. I was tired of being lost without her. I didn't anticipating ever losing her again, but I needed to know that I could stand on my own if I had to. Besides in order us to make it, we needed to be totally secure in our relationship and, as can be expected, I was not. Somewhere along the way, I had lost confidence in myself and now was as good a time as any to find it again.

After hours of talking, even though I know she wanted to stay, I asked Bee to leave and I prepped for bed. It took everything in me not to run after her and make her stay, but I knew better. This rebuilding thing wouldn't be easy. But, until we were sure we were ready, I wasn't jumping into anything feet first. I'm sure it's not what she had expected, but it had to be done.

Today had been a long day. Although, things were looking up I was still hesitant to put all my eggs in one basket. After a nice dinner party with my friends, where Alice announced that she and Victoria were buying a house together, and a much needed talk with Bee I was able to rest easier. I just hoped things worked out. As I fell asleep, I thought of things to buy for Alice and Victoria's new house.

**BPOV**

Rosalie. Girls. Rosalie. Girls. Rosalie.

Rosalie, the one woman I was in love with, or the girls who were much more numerous and didn't have any other feelings towards me except occasional horniness?

As I mulled over the thought, I swear it was like my conscience smacked me into submission. I had really fucked up. Here she is, this beautiful woman ready to put her life on the line for me and I was too busy chasing other women to even notice her anymore. It's no wonder she feels like I don't care about her. But what did I do? Instead of getting myself together and treating her right, I just pushed her aside and moved on to the next girl.

Truthfully, if the situation had been reversed, I can't say for certain that I would even give her another chance. But that's who she was. Everybody at work thought that Rosalie was a bitch, and she was, but only because she had to be brutal to win. Nobody ever got anywhere by doing nothing. For those of us that really knew her, she was fierce, and loyal. The girl had more confidence in her pinky than most people had in their whole body, or at least she used to. But, sadly, she'd had lost it long ago. Probably because of me and my stupidity. I could trade all the things I loved about her for a list of names that, in comparison, never seemed quite as appealing. Given the choice between her and them, I would choose Rosalie every time. Still, in the heat of the moment, there was no telling what I would do. I didn't want to ever hurt her again, and if I let her go she could be happy with someone else. However, I didn't want to lose her forever. Change really was my only option.

I agreed to try and we spent several hours talking about work and friends, but eventually, we were both starting to get sleepy. Although I didn't like it and wanted more than anything to stay with her, I respected Rosalie's decision to send me home. It was safe and cautious, exactly what I would have done. Getting into my car, I pulled out my cell phone and called Victoria, Alice's girlfriend.

"Hello," she answered sleepily.

"Hey V, I'm sorry to call so late, but are you free tomorrow afternoon?" I said praying Alice wasn't planning another insane shopping trip.

"Yeah, I was just going to chill, here for a while. What's up?" she asked, seemingly more awake, her interest piqued.

"I need you to go somewhere with me." I replied.

After finalizing plans with Victoria, I hung up feeling much better. Now, that I had an active plan in place I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. After driving home, I showered and went straight to bed excited for tomorrow.

**RPOV**

After a morning of intense workouts at the gym, I was never more glad to see my shower. I stepped into the shower and allowed the water to relax my muscles. As the hot water cascaded over me, I hummed along to the tune of Duke Ellington, floating to me from my iHome system. After what seemed like forever, but was really only half an hour, dressing in a cute blouse and slacks, I finished my Sunday morning routine. After I was completely dressed, I locked up my apartment, and I raced off towards Panera for Sunday Brunch with Alice and Esme.

"Hey girls," I said, as I walked up to our usual table, waving at my friends

"Hey Rose, aren't you just glowing?" Esme said snickering as I sat down and waited on my order.

"Glowing, girl who are you kidding? She practically blinding me she's smiling so hard." Alice said, both her and Esme practically falling over into their plates they were laughing so hard.

"Oh, hahaha you guys are so funny. I can't help that I had a good night, okay." I said feeling slightly defensive but playful.

"Hmm, girl, believe me I understand." Esme said with this dreamy look on her face that I had never seen as long as I had known her.

Exchanging glances with Alice, I excused myself to go get my Broccoli Cheddar Bread bowl. Through lunch, we laughed and joked around with each other and it was nice to be relaxed, even if it was just temporary. Alice, in her usual exuberant way, almost bounced out of her chair as she told us about the houses they'd visited in the past week. It was so funny to see Ali so enthused about hard wood floors.

Esme, after the latest date with her "man friend", who we finally learned was named Carlisle was debating when would be the right time to introduce him to us. We encouraged her not to rush it, but were happy to hear that she had found someone she liked that could put with her talking about buildings and house designs all day. We loved to see them finished, but hearing the mechanics of it bored us to tears.

After lunch, I was more than ready for a nap, but I was much too busy. Going over to my office, I opened my brief case and pulled out the thickest file. If I was ever going to get this appeal done and get the Garvin's their daughter back, I would have to work harder and look for new avenues to explore. It was shaping up to be a pretty long evening.

**BPOV**

Sunday mornings, I love Sunday mornings. There's something so serene about them that just makes you want to laze around and watch movies. Sundays are like prime days, second only to Fridays and Thursdays. Mondays are a bitch, but Sundays are the cream of the crop. Picking up my cell phone, I checked for any missed messages and noticed that I only had an hour to get ready.

After showering, I threw on a t-shirt, jeans and some sneakers before leaving to meet Victoria. I had intended to just wear my sweats but since we would be out in public I figured I might as well look decent. Pulling up at the Verizon store, I saw Victoria's flaming red hair in the rear window of her car. I went over and knocked on her window and we went in to do some phone shopping. An hour later, we walked out of the store, V telling me about the dinner party I'd missed and me setting up my new phone.

When I told Rosalie I was going to try, I was serious and I wanted to at least start making changes, no matter how small. So I decided that the first step was to cut ties with my past. My trip to Verizon was the beginning. Getting a phone upgrade, a new sim card, and number, I knew no one would have my number unless I gave it to them. Yeah it cost me a shit ton of money, but it was a much needed expense. Hopefully, that would cut down the opportunity for temptation by at least half. I knew it wouldn't solve the problem but it helped.

After sending out a mass text message to only Rosalie, my family and close friends and asking them not to give out my number, Victoria and I went back to my house to watch TV and hang out until it was time for Alice to come home. It reminded me of other times, before Rosalie and I separated, when we would plan Sunday gatherings while our women were away. Friday dinner was always a couples thing, but Sunday they all got together for brunch. So, whenever our schedules permitted we would occupy our time and do things together. I liked it because, V really is one of my closest friends and we never ran out of shit to do or people to judge. It was just chill.

"So what the fuck is wrong with you?" Victoria asked after ten minutes of us being in my apartment. "First you call me late at night, then you want a new phone, and you brought me lunch. Are you dying? Because, if so, I'll just go. I really don't need a police record."

"Damn, that escalated pretty fast, you're killing me off already? No, Rosalie wants to make our relationship better. So I'm working on it, ya know. Really though, I know it's going to be hard as hell." I complained, grateful for a sympathetic ear.

"Wait, so not only have you not tapped anything in a month, but Rosalie is laying down the law?" V said chuckling. "I told you that would come back to haunt you as soon as I found out. How are you even still breathing?" V said jokingly although I knew that, by now, Alice was giving her a full play-by-play.

"God, my friend, God. And up until now a steady supply of women. But, Rosalie said the only way I can have her is if I stop that altogether. " I said while petting Rocko, who had decided to weigh down my lap with his large head.

Victoria just shook her head. "That's fucked up that you did that to Rosalie, but at least she's setting you straight. If not, I'd have to kill your ass. Don't mess it up and do something stupid, Bee. Besides if you work hard enough, you will be too happy to care about the loss of your team of girls." She said slapping me on the back. "Besides, we both know Ro will have you whipped soon enough."

I knew V was telling the truth and I appreciated her no-holds barred opinion. If anybody knew Rosalie, it was Alice. And who knew her better than Victoria? It would be a long while before we could do it again, since I was about to start working on a different schedule and V was in closing on a house, but it was nice to regain some semblance of normalcy.

That night, after V left and I had run out of letters on Words with Friends, I lay in my bed staring at the ceiling thinking about what my next step would be. Convinced that I should at least try and figure out a feasible schedule, I sat up and grabbed the pad and pen next to my phone. Taking Rosalie's hours into account I worked until I found hours that fit for me. Of course, I would be on call as always, but my normal hours would be cut drastically. Yes, I would get paid less, but not so much that I couldn't live comfortably. Satisfied with my efforts, I sent Rosalie a text asking her to meet me for dinner the following night and went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Abominable Twit

**I meant to post this last night after my match, but I was already asleep before I made it back to my room. But, since this chapter was already written I decided to go ahead and upload it. I'm possibly working on another tonight before bed. Still, I'm happy we all seem to be on the same page. I find that this writing thing is really helping my stress levels. So, I'm posting it before bed. Jay aka Jordan, Thanks! I'm glad you like it .Any kind of story with a good plot line. Not too picky about the characters. As always, I hope you enjoy this. Have a great afternoon and happy reading!**

**RPOV**

The worst thing about Monday mornings is the feeling of absolute dread I get when I realize exactly how far my bedroom is from my kitchen. Do you know how hard it is to make coffee from upstairs and down the hall? The struggle is so real. Suffice to say, I am not now nor have I ever been a morning person. Monday morning, Wednesday morning, Friday morning, the day doesn't matter. If I am waking up at dark thirty I'm going to need the Jaws of Life to pry me out of bed.

The sun was shining through my window, so I knew it was well after 8 already. That didn't stop me from lagging behind. Eventually though, even that got boring and I went to the bathroom to shower. I don't really know why, but I felt so much better after the hot water touched my skin. It was like an instantaneous shock washing away all thoughts of sleep. After I was cleaned within an inch of my life, I blow dried my hair and went to get dressed. Checking the time, I saw that I was running late so I left my hair down and slid on my shoes. I didn't want to do it, but it looked like I would be sending my secretary out for Starbucks. After I grabbed my phone and brief case I left for work.

The drive over to my firm was fairly quick and in less than twenty minutes I was in my office. After an hour of checking emails and reading law reviews, I sent Jason out for breakfast and powered up my phone. I was notoriously attached to it and even though it pained me, I had to turn it off or I would never go to sleep. I had a slight addiction with Words with Friends and a budding love/hate relationship with Ruzzle that had already caused several sleepless nights. Aside from the several missed calls from Alice, Esme, and my mother; there was also a text from Bee.

**11:47 pm**

** Bee: Hey babe, You. Me. Dinner, tomorrow, 8?**

Initially, I was under the impression that Bee voluntarily spending time with me was a hoax. She never did it before. But I quickly reined it in and focused on the present. Me, clinging to her past transgressions, wouldn't do either one of us any good. And, given that this was supposed to be a fresh start for us, I took the leap of faith.

**10:39 am**

**Me: Of course, but what will I wear? Maybe we should reschedule. You know how long I take to get ready lol**

After getting a reply saying, 'Come as you are' I wondered exactly where we were going. A little known fact about me was that even though I'm high maintenance, as Bee frequently reminds me, I can't stand stuffy restaurants and I'm a bit of a pig when it comes to my food. The less gourmet it is, the more I want it in most cases. Of course, I try to restrict that mentality, only adhering to it when dining out to avoid gaining astronomical amounts of weight. I can't do Parkour with a belly. Okay, so maybe I could but I'm working on this dress I want to wear before summer's out.

Excited to see Bee and actually talk to her without shouting, I was all smiles the rest of the day. It's amazing to me that no matter how much I wanted to hate her, she could still make me giggle and blush like a teenage girl. It was embarrassing really. By the time five rolled around that afternoon, I was really starting to make headway in my research. But, I was too anxious to continue so I locked up my office and headed home while contemplating wardrobe options in my head.

It took me almost an hour and a half to get ready. It was like I'd never been on a date with Bee before. I wanted to impress her but how do you impress the woman who's seen you in nearly everything you own? You can't unless you go shopping and I didn't have time. Settling for what I had, I threw something together and started working on my hair and makeup. By the time seven thirty rolled around, I had gone through too much idle time and I was once again freaking out. I wanted everything to be perfect and I was losing my cool trying to anticipate what would happen. When I heard the doorbell ring, I shot nearly a foot in the air. The entire way down the stairs I gave myself a pep-talk as if that was going to help rest my nerves. And when I opened the door, Bee reached and pulled into a hug.

"Hey babe, I missed you," she said as she kissed me until I was sure my knees had given out and I was about two seconds away from fainting.

"Hey yourself, I missed you too, but it's only been a day since we last saw each other." I said smiling at her, unable to contain myself to the point where it was getting downright embarrassing.

"Doesn't matter. I missed you anyway. I considered bringing you flowers but I know how you hate them so I got you this instead," Bee said holding up a boxed cupcake. I swear the woman knows all my weaknesses. Snatching up the cupcake, I sat it down on my coffee table and went back to the door.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked. I nodded she took my hand and led me to her car. She opened the door for me then got in on her side. It was something she hadn't done before, but I appreciated the gesture. We drove off a few minutes later, and she grabbed my hand and kissed it. "You look beautiful Ro," she said.

In jeans and a shirt, I didn't think beautiful was the appropriate word, but I couldn't control reaction. i just smiled and blushed. "Thank you." I hated that I was being reduced to some giggly school girl but it was too sweet to resist. I just couldn't turn away from the cheesiness of it all.

Through the whole ride I caught her staring at me. "Hey what are you staring at?" I said trying to get a rise out of her.

"I have no clue what you're talking about. Should I be looking for something?" she said trying to look serious even though I saw a hint of a smile.

"You don't have to look for me, I'm right here" I said rolling my eyes.

Before she could even respond to my statement we pulled up in front of Lincoln's Waffle Shop. I had wanted to try that place out for a while and I never had the time to go. Plus, restaurant hopping was our _thing_. We tried all the new ones together first before we ever went there alone in case one of us got sick or went into a food coma.

"So I'm guessing that you are prepared to foot this bill, right?" I said looking at Bee with my eyebrows raised in disbelief that she remembered my request from our previous dinner date.

"Yeah, I mean I know you've wanted to try this place out so I thought I would take you before you lost it and invited Alice or Esme instead. You know they wouldn't eat here." she said smirking. God that smirk and the things it does to me-no Rosalie do not go there. Instead I smiled and pampered kisses all over her face, "Thank you, I'm so excited," I said excitedly. We walked inside and went to find a decent sized table.

Just looking at the menu, I fell in love. The amount of grease we were about to consume would probably give us heart attacks but I couldn't resist it. Deciding that it was worth the work out, I choose to go crazy. While I cased the menu, I snuck glances at Bee who was totally wrapped up in the food selection. Maybe that's why we didn't notice when the waitress came up.

"What can I get for you?" the women ask while she batted her eyelashes at Bee, looking desperate.

"Can I get two jumbo bacon cheeseburgers, with one large order of fries on a separate plate to the side? Also, can we have two Sprites to go along with that? Thanks so much." I said trying to alert the tasteless woman to my presence and feeling snarky when my attempt didn't work.

"Is that all?" she asked STILL looking at Bee like she was ready to suck her face off.

"Yes it is, and I would appreciate it if you stop batting your eyelashes at my girlfriend before I lose my patience and call your manager," I said rudely.

"Sorry, I am the manager so-" she said before I cut her off.

"Whatever, one less step. I can just handle you right now. Any questions?" I replied glaring at the abominable twit silently wishing her life away. Wisely, she left without any further remarks. We got our food shortly after with an entirely different server, which I was extremely happy about because I didn't want to get kicked out before I had a chance to eat. I bit into the flavor explosion that was my burger and a second later Bee started to laugh like crazy; everyone around us staring.

"What?" I demanded ducking my head to avoid their gazes.

"Nothing," she said while trying to stop laughing and choking on her fries at the same time.

"Tell me," I replied even though I was more concerned with the French fries being lodged in her throat at the moment.

"It's nothing, you're cute when you're jealous, it's kind of hot actually." she laughed, mumbling under her breath after taking several gulps of Sprite.

"Oh, so you think this is funny, huh?" I said angrily glaring at her while my lips pouted upward.

She stopped laughing once she heard the tone in my voice, looking like a deer caught in head lights. Bingo! That got your attention.

"I don't like other women looking at you like that when it's pretty clear that you're taken, I'm not sharing you with them. If they need a fix they can see you at the hospital after I'm done with them." I said serious growing angrier by the minute.

"Rosalie, calm down. You are absolutely right. She was out of line and I planned to call her on it when we were leaving. Thank you for handling it for me, babe, I appreciate it." Bee said, almost immediately defusing my anger. That is why I love that woman.

**BPOV**

My date with Rosalie was going well and it was working out mostly according to plan until the whole waitress thing but we had moved past it. Soon dinner was over though, and as much as it killed me, I drove her home in her food induced stupor, knowing that she was about twenty minutes from a full on slumber. I laughed silently at how the night had shaped up and glanced at Rosalie to see her eyes slowly shutting. When we made it to her apartment I helped her to her door and kissed her goodnight.

On the ride to my apartment, I couldn't stop smiling about how perfect it had been. For a moment I was remorseful that it took me this long to realize how much she meant to me. But, then I resolved to spend as much time as possible making up for it. Later when I was in the bed and almost asleep a text came in from Rosalie that I was not expecting.

**10:23 pm**

**Ro: Next time, you should stay. Goodnight Bee, love you.**

My mind automatically started racing and I knew I was in deep trouble. Rosalie was going to be the death of me. _Now I know I'm not going to sleep _I thought bury my head in the pillows groaning, preparing for what would be one of the longest nights on record.


	6. Chapter 6: Pre-Memorial Memories

**Hi you guys! You have no idea how much I've been itching to get this chapter up! The last few days have been rough. Between matches and performances, this is the first time I've been able to actually sit down without doing homework or attempting not to fall asleep on the bus. As always, I loved your reviews and I'm happy you guys like my story so much. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning it. As a matter of fact, I owe you at least two more chapters this weekend, so hold me to it. Oh yeah, and review because I would love to know what you guys think of them. Oh well…until next time. -Isis P. aka PrettyGirlPosh**

**-OH YEAH! LEMON ALERT ON THIS CHAPTER! MY FRIENDS FELT SOME KIND OF WAY ABOUT IT SO…**

**RPOV**

I am almost certain that Hell is real and Satan himself is throwing a party in my honor. My mother, God bless her heart, is driving me absolutely insane! I don't know why she assumes every year that I will be available the day before her ridiculously large Labor Day soiree to help her rip and run the city. Okay, so maybe I didn't have anything planned for today. But, in my defense that because I knew she would hold off on finalizing this until today. WHO DOES THAT ANYWAY?! So far this morning, I've been to the caterers twice, the hotel, and the florist to make sure my mother's party was planned to perfection.

Of course, being Didyme Hale, she didn't feel the need to worry about it herself. Oh no, she was off at the spa getting pampered while I did her dirty work. I could have mentioned it to my father, except I'm pretty positive that would require him being off of the golf course, within reach of his useless cell phone. Okay…so maybe I'm a little agitated. But seriously, they hired people to work in their home. Why couldn't Theresa or Mae do this stuff? I never understood the point of maids and butlers anyway. Whatever! Thinking about it was just making me even angrier.

Normally, at times like this, I would call Bella. But she was working so I couldn't do anything but suck it up and be a lackey for a day. I hadn't seen Jasper in two months, since he'd made the trip back to New York. Now that summer was over, he was spending all his time in class or working at the museum for an internship. Luckily, he was going to fly in tonight for the big party and I couldn't wait. Somebody else could deal with our parents shit for once.

Quickly deciding to through caution to the when, I pulled a U-turn and headed to the hospital. If nothing else, Bee could listen to me vent about the events that would make up my mother's demise if she called with one more thing for me to do. When I got there, I was a little put off when a nurse told me she was making rounds but I quickly perked up when I saw her coming down the hall.

"Hey baby." I whispered leaning in giving Bella a sweet kiss.

"I missed you." Bella stated simply, stealing another kiss from me, craving the physical contact. Following her into her office, I could barely contain my urge to kiss her within an inch of her life, totally forgetting about my original purpose for visiting her. All too soon, I gave in to instinct, launching myself at her attacking her lips intent on devouring her.

I placed my hands on the sides of Bella's face, deepening the kiss and running her tongue along her bottom lip, silently asking for entrance that I knew she would give me. The thought made me want to rub my legs together to stop the embarrassing sight of me dripping down my thighs.

Braking away from her lips to take a much needed breath, I said, "I can tell you missed me too, that was some kiss." adding a smirk even though I was getting owned.

Bella returned the smirk with her own smug look. Unbuttoning my shirt, she slowly backed me into the wall. I wanted to scream at her to just put me out of my misery, but I couldn't form the words. "Oh well, I could just prove how much I missed you, Ro." Bee said firmly breaking any real resolve I had left.

Leaning into me, Bella showered my neck with little kisses and nips before she placed one long kiss, sucking lightly, leaving what I was sure would be a bright purple mark right over my pulse point, for the whole damn world to see. Normally, I would shout at her for it. But, I wanted her too much to care.

"Mhmm…" I moaned, enjoying the sensation of her lips on my skin, even though I desperately wanted her to take control and screw my brains out. "You know if we go any further, we should probably wait until later. I don't think the rest of Pediatrics wants to hear me screaming. Besides, we are supposed to be taking it slow. It's not the right time." I said, silently praying she wouldn't make me suffer any longer than I already had. _Shit!…I'm a goner_.

**BPOV**

I neglected to mention to her that a two-month hiatus on top of a month apart was as slow as it needed to get. I was starting to get turned on by dreams and that shit hadn't happened since I was a teenager. I don't know what it is about Rosalie but the woman was driving me crazy.

"Baby, I'm sorry but I can't go another minute without touching you." I said staring at the beautiful face in front of me, noting how she was saying one thing but her body was saying something totally different.

"I'm serious Bee, I have to be sure…Ooooh shit. God, that feels good! Wait, I don't care Bee. I felt disrespected." Rosalie moaned out, conflicted, as I continued my assault on her body slowly kissing all her favorite spots.

"I know you do, and I don't want to take that from you. I tried to show you in all the other ways I know, but this one. I gave you my word I wouldn't intentionally disrespect you anymore." My hands caressed her breasts. Damn, it had been too long.

"Baby stop. Not here." Rosalie said even though her body was firmly pressed between me and the wall. She didn't want to go and I didn't want her to leave.

"Here, Rosalie." I said firmly.

"Not right now. They'll hear us." She tried to reason with me but was losing her own inner battle.

I was already pulling her skirt further up. "They won't hear you."

Rosalie slapped my hands away and pushed against my shoulders. "Yes, they will hear us. I heard what you said, Bee. No, not here."

Still, at this point I simply wasn't taking no for an answer. I backed up until she was back against the wall with no space between us. "Rosalie, I want you and I know you want me. Give me what I want." I said looking her right in the eye.

Even in the semi-darkness of my office, I saw her eyes glint. "How bad do you want it?"

"Damn it Rosalie. Stop teasing me." I couldn't restrain myself any longer. Before she could stop me, my hand was underneath her skirt pushing her panties aside.

"Wait Bee." Rosalie made one more futile attempt but my fingers had already found her sweet, wet spot. "Oh shit, baby stop this isn't right." The moans sounded like heaven and regardless to what small half-baked attempts she made I knew she was too far gone to consider leaving.

I pushed gently inside, luxuriating in her velvet walls tightening around me. Her clit was swollen and pulsating against my thumb. Damn she felt good. Was it possible that I had missed her so much? What am I saying? Hell yes, it was highly possible. Rosalie had spread her legs as an initial reaction, but it wasn't enough for me. She was so wet, I needed to get deeper. With my other hand I grabbed her ass and lifted her up. After she wrapped her legs around my waist, I glided deep and we found our natural rhythm. I tried to be as quiet as possible as not to alert the nurses.

"Ooooh fuck, Baby." Rosalie murmured into my neck. She was riding my fingers with smooth strokes.

I used my hips to increase the pressure I knew she needed even though I was as hard as a rock and on the verge of exploding in minutes. But, this wasn't about me. This was about Rosalie, regardless to the tent I was pitching in my pants. "You know you're my baby. I love you more than anything. "I said meaning every word; although I knew no matter how many times I said it anymore she might never really believe it.

"I don't want to think about that,...shit...I have you...mmmm..they...damn...don't stop Bee."

"You need me to help?"

"Y-Y-Yes. Harder. Fuck,that feels good." Her legs tightened around my waist as her hips thrust harder. I knew she was close and I didn't want her to be. I didn't want it to end at all. "Don't stop, Baby. Please, whatever you do, just don't stop."

"I thought you weren't ready for me. I thought you wanted me to stop. You said it wasn't the right time." I said, teasing her clit.

"Shit,...mmm...you should have known that was a lie." Rosalie confessed.

My lips found hers again and when I slipped my tongue into her mouth, Rosalie sucked on it with a lusty moan and a hard grind. It was either the beautiful noises in my ear, the hypnotic motion of Rosalie's hips, or maybe it was the fact that all of her refinement seemed to slip away when we were in the moment. I don't know, but somewhere I lost my cool and I felt myself humping harder against her.

Rosalie's arms held on to my neck even tighter than before and a low moan began to spread throughout her body. She stopped rocking against me and tensed. "OOOOOOOOOOOO. Bee, I'm...ooh shit...I'm...Mmm-hmm...damn."

I slowed the tempo, my hips thrusting with a small circular motion. "You cumming Baby?"

"Mmm...yeah. Oh shit...yeah. Yes...oh...oh...oh...Oh Fuck!" Rosalie screamed so loud I swore somebody was going to break down the door at any second.

She gushed past my fingers and oozed down into the palm of my hand. Rosalie's head collapsed to my shoulder and she continued to hang on to me. I walked over to my desk and sat down on the edge until her breathing evened out. I realized I was still inside her and wiggled my fingers.

"Bee, wait. Take them out. Please, Bella, not right here. It was hard being quiet." Rosalie said looking slightly saddened at the thought that our fun time was over for now.

"Yes ma'am, feeling better?" I asked even though I could see that her body was far less tense than it had been when I first saw her.

"Yes, Bee, thank you for that. I needed it more than I thought I guess. Mom's been driving me crazy. But, what about you? I had all the fun practically climbing the wall in here and you got nothing" she replied with a soft smile and an almost regretful tone.

"Ahh, so it was Didyme that set you off. No need to thank me. That's my job. You did need it, who knew Rosalie Hale would beg? I definitely didn't take you for a screamer either. Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much about me. Yeah, I'm plenty uncomfortable right now, but you have all night tonight to make it up to me. I'm sure we'll both have fun with that." I said laughing as Rosalie moaned and shifted slightly on my lap.

Once we had cleaned up and gotten Rosalie back to a presentable state, she strolled out of the hospital happier, and I couldn't stop grinning… Four more hours and I could go home and start round two of what was sure to be another screamer…..God, I love Rosalie Hale.


	7. Chapter 7: That I Have Room For

**Ahhhhhh….I woke up on another level this morning. Spring Formal was last night and we got so crazy, I can't believe I'm even up right now. On the other hand, I woke up to great news. My little sister, Raveena was born at 3:15 after 14 hrs and she is totally healthy. My mom is exhausted but my dad is wrapped around her finger already. I'm a pretty darn proud big sister right now. She's such a cutie! She hasn't cried once. Anyway, I also received an email from the White House about my internship and it turns out I got admitted to the Washington Semester program. All in all, I'd say I'm in my prime right now. I love you guys' reviews and I hope you like this chapter! –Isis aka PGP**

**RPOV**

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate my family? No? Well, let me be the first to tell you. Those people are intentionally trying to ruin my life. After my afternoon tryst with Bella, I was more than ready to go home and relax in a nice, long bath. But, I couldn't and you want to know why? Because somebody had to pick up Jasper and judging by the way my day was panning out, you could just guess who that someone would be. That's right, me. After going home to shower and change into a sundress in an attempt to stay as cool as possible, it was already after five.

Figuring that I might as well make some dinner, I pulled out some fish and the ingredients for a salad, setting out to at least finish making dinner before it was time to pick up Jasper. Honestly, I had missed my annoying, overprotective little brother. If hadn't been for him, I'm not sure I would have made it out of my parents' house alive. Okay, so I'm being overdramatic but life wasn't exactly all roses, sunshine, and unicorns either. Jasper and I were like our own little family. An exclusive club, if you will. Our parents didn't have time for us, but we had time for each other. We were thick as thieves, he and I and that has never changed.

After I pulled the fish out of the oven for it to cool, I made fresh tea before going to watch a few episodes of NCIS. I usually don't like crime solving shows, but NCIS was my guilty pleasure. On marathon days, I was practically immobile, tied to the couch with my junk food in my pajamas lusting after Ziva. Obviously, Bee would never know that. But, it was true and Alice wholeheartedly agrees with me. Halfway through Abby's latest Caf-Pow induced revelation, I turned off the TV and scribbled Bee a quick note before driving to the airport.

I felt bad that I was cutting into our alone time to retrieve my brother from an airport when my parents were both available, but I knew Bee would understand. Pulling into the parking lot, I prayed that Jasper's flight was on time because I didn't want to pay for any more parking than absolutely necessary. When I saw Jasper approaching me, I couldn't help but laugh. His blonde hair, more shaggy but just as uncontrollable as my own, kept falling down in his eyes. He seriously needed a haircut. However, he thought the "ladies" liked it so I didn't push on it. He'd cut it when he couldn't see anymore. Either that or invest in hair ties.

Jasper was slightly put out, when I told him he'd have to stay with our parents but he didn't push on it. We walked out of the airport to several jealous glances causing us both to double over in laughter before I remembered that I had someone waiting on me at home.

"Bee's waiting, huh" Jasper said chuckling.

"Yeah, and your point?" I answered snappily.

"Down kitty, I'm just bullshitting you. Glad you finally made up." He said shaking his head and resting his hand on my shoulder.

The car ride was quick and I extended Jasper the invitation to come with us to Alice's party the next day. Of course, looking for anything to get him out of my parents party, he readily accepted and sent me on my way home. When I pulled up into the parking lot, I saw Bee's car and I was instantly excited. When I walked in and saw Bee on my couch watching Remember the Titans and I shook my head. _Her and that movie!_ I sat next to her, kissing her on the cheek and watched along until I was bored out of my mind. This was going to be a long night….or maybe not.

**BPOV**

We had been watching Remember the Titans for thirty minutes after Rosalie showed up, when she stood up suddenly with a very determined look on her face, and my heart started to race_. Rosalie's up to something._ She threw me a knowing glance and walked to the hallway where the kitchen. I took a deep breath and waited five agonizing minutes, before I stood to head down that same hallway. Walking into the kitchen, I saw Rosalie making plates of food. At that moment, my stomach gave a loud grumble.

During dinner, we ate in relative silence, exchanging glances but never saying a word. Halfway through, she excused herself returning ten minutes later and sitting on the counter. She was swinging her legs over the edge and cleared her throat in an attempt to gain my attention. My eyes immediately zeroed in on the fact that she was twirling her black lace panties on her index finger and when she bit her lip, the urge to suck her lips off her face had me gone.

"I'm ready now, let's skip dessert. You can have me instead." she said softly staring at me so intensely that I was sure she was undressing me with her eyes. I smirked at her and leaned back in my chair, keeping my distance before I gave into temptation.

"I thought we were gonna wait until I'd at least finished eating. You're so eager today, Miss Hale. This is unusual." I said grinning with my eyebrows raised in mock disbelief.

"We can still wait, if that's what you really want. But, I can't guarantee I'll let you touch me by then. Oh well, such a waste." she teased and tossed her panties to the floor.

I shook my head at her laughing so hard I almost caught a cramp. "Rosalie, my dick is hard, and your panties are off. You're not really going to make me wait again today. Nice try," I told her. Opening her legs even further, she smirked while her eyes practically begged me to make her cum so hard she cried. "Then come here and take me."

I closed the distance between us quickly and leaned over her, one hand up her dress. I immediately slipped my finger between her wet folds as I crushed my mouth to hers. She shrieked when I pounded my finger into her. I held it there for a moment, reveling in the sensation of her walls closing around it.

"You're so tight," I breathed against her mouth almost certain she was tired of me teasing her. I got my confirmation when she moaned loudly and placed her hand over mine between her legs.

"More," she begged and who was I to tell her no? She owned me, she could have whatever she wanted. I looked at her, my eyes burning with lust, and buried another finger inside her, adding it to the first. She arched her back in response, slamming her hand back down on the counter to stabilize herself.

"Fuck…" she gasped. My fingers moved at a rapid pace, pulling out almost completely then forcing their way back in again. I kept my fingertips curled in as I fucked her with my hand, earning loud yelps and whimpers from her. Her hot breaths blew across my face. I watched as her features contorted with pleasure; the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen and I knew she was close. I slammed my fingers in and out of her harder, making sure to massage her swollen clit with my thumb.

"Oh, fuck, Bee," she cried through gritted teeth.

Leaning down, I pressed my lips to her ear. "Ro, you're gonna come on my hand, and then I'm going to taste you." She whimpered as I spoke, and her body began to spasm. I brought my mouth to her neck and bit down on her bruised skin as she bucked her hips against my hand. Moans and grunts rang out in my ears. Her thighs clamped down on my wrist. I felt the heat of her come as it coated my fingers and seeped down to my knuckles, my thumb still pressed to her clit. Once I released her neck, her head fell back, and her chest heaved. I kept one hand planted under her, helping to keep her stable.

"That was good, baby. So good," she said breathlessly.

I smirked at her and slowly began to remove my hand from underneath her dress. "Yeah, it was." Our eyes locked as I brought it to my mouth. I sucked her juices from my fingers while she watched a sexy grin on her face. Every time I tasted her, I couldn't help but close my eyes, it was better than apple pie filing. I didn't even know that was possible until I met her.

"Tastes good too," I said.

She giggled and lowered her eyes to my pants, reaching her hand out to stroke the bulge my aching erection had created. It twitched at her touch, desperate for attention.

"I want your cock inside me."

I snickered. "I want you all over this apartment…but we'll start with your bed and work our way around. Deal?" I knew she wouldn't say no. But, I couldn't resist telling her what I wanted anyway. She lifted herself up from the countertop and straightened, her lips still donning that seductive, little smile. Wordlessly, she headed up the stairs with me right behind her. As soon as I closed the door, I turned around and I reached for the bottom of her dress, pulling it off and baring her gorgeous body.

My dick throbbed and swelled in anticipation at the mere sight of her. Her whole body was completely visible to me and I could stop myself from touching her. My hands slid over the skin of her ass, and I felt her shudder, moaning softly.

"You feel so fucking good," I told her. Her breathing was becoming shaky, and she was quivering beneath my touch.

"Please, Bee," she uttered.

"What, baby? Please what? You have to tell me."

"Please… fuck me. I need you."

I knew I couldn't hold back anymore. Hearing her beg for me to fuck her was the breaking point. I made quick work of my pants, tugging at the strings on my scrubs to loosen them. She was panting and watching me expectantly as she waited on her bed. My dick sprung free when I shoved my pants down, and off in one fluid motion.

I climbed on to the bed and shoved her legs apart with my knee, situating myself between her luscious thighs. I gripped at her hips and with a grunt, rammed myself inside her in one swift thrust. Her pussy immediately contracted, clamping down on me tightly, and she threw her head back.

"Oh, God!" she exclaimed.

The intense sensation of my cock being buried inside her, the feel of her ass in my hands, the way her body looked as I thrust in and out of her was absolutely euphoric. I began to move, sliding in and out of her slowly and deeply. She fisted the sheets and pressed her head further into the pillows, calling to every God that would listen.

"Fuck, Ro," I hissed. I pumped my hips faster as she reached down and teased her clit with her fingertips.

Where we were exactly began to slip from my mind. She returned her hand to fisting the sheets when I began to pound harder, giving her everything I had and digging my fingers into her soft hips. I groaned and heaved as I drove myself closer to the edge.

She could feel it too and yelped, saying, "Come in me, baby. I wanna feel it."

I wanted so badly to hold back, keep myself focused so it would last longer. I wasn't ready for it to be over. But, as usual, I couldn't refuse her. I arched my back and gripped her tighter, speeding up my movements impossibly faster. My lungs felt constricted, my breath was raw in my throat. I gave one final, hard thrust, and then my body exploded. Her screams barely registered as I came down from my high. Gradually, all the sensations began to diminish, and I was left with exhaustion. My fingers, sore from holding such a firm grip, relaxed on her hips. I heard her sigh in contentment.

"How was that?" she asked playfully.

I managed a light chuckle. "Pretty fucking amazing." Hesitantly, I pulled out of her, still desperately wanting to be buried in her. She turned and rested her head on my chest, sighing contentedly.

"Good, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm too tired to eat anything else now. Stay with me," she said as if she was expecting me to tell her no.

I nodded once. "Me too. I wasn't planning on leaving you Rosalie, go to sleep I'll be here when you wake up." I replied pulling her closer to me and moving her hair out of her face as she closed her eyes. Resting my head back on the pillows I followed her lead and drifted off to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8: Life is NOT a Fairytale

**Hi you guys, I'm supposed to be taking a break from sisterly duties to focus on school work, but since I'm not at school and all my work is done I get to post another chapter. Oh yeah and address the reviews! God's Little Demon, Yes, Raveena is my first sister, or sibling ever. A whole twenty three years between us, can you believe it? I am just so taken with her it's unreal. She's the second member of our family to be born here. My parents, of course, are over the moon with joy. On another note, you guys are so funny. I admit though that the last chapter was a little steamy. Fair warning, it's about to get serious. Shoutout to SimrinandBurnin, for helping me with the facts. Well, here's your next chapter!**

**RPOV**

5:00 am

I couldn't sleep. You would think that I'd be out like a light by now. But instead, I was up battling the migraine of a century. Thinking that maybe a decline in elevation would help, I slowly got out of bed and sat on the floor. I didn't want to wake Bee but I knew that she would kill me if I let her sleep while I wasn't feeling well. I stood up but I felt dizzy and chose to lie back down. I called out to her and she opened her eyes just in time for me to register the beautiful brown hue before the haze descended over me and I fell into darkness, unable to find my way out.

**BPOV**

I could feel the bed move as Rosalie tossed and turned next to me, but I was powerless to stop it as I was weighed down by the force of my own dreams. It wasn't until I heard her call my name that I awoke in just enough time to see her body go limp and fall to the floor, that I immediately reacted. Rolling her over on her side, I checked her heart rate to make sure she was still breathing and started the timer on my watch. With her head on my pillow I backed away slightly and watched as the woman I love lost all sense of control over her body.

After two minutes of jerking and convulsing, the latest episode was over and Rosalie was out. Placing her body in recovery position, I waited for her to come to and show me her sparkling blue eyes so I would know she was okay. While I waited I took notes on everything, just to be sure she would know later. When I heard her snore, I released a sigh of relief that she was indeed going to be okay. Ten minutes, later her eyes opened and I knew we were in the clear.

"Ro, do you remember what happened?" I said apprehensively. She responded with a garbled "No." I asked her several other questions about who she was and what happened but all of the answers were the same. She didn't know. I didn't expect her to remember. She never does. It scares me how something so frightening could happen to a person and they don't even remember any of it.

'"Rosalie, baby, it's me Bee. You're safe and I'm just going to put you back in bed so you can rest okay." I said trying to reassure her although I'm sure if I were her, I'd be scared. After laying her on the bed I sat and watched as she slowly regained consciousness again. Without missing a beat, she went from totally lost to totally distraught.

It was in moments like this that my heart broke for Rosalie's pain. She had battled with Migralepsy since her freshman year in high school. She never knew when her seizures would hit until right before and they were always bad enough for her to sleep for hours on in. She told me that at first it scared her. Now she described herself as being infuriated. She didn't like the amount of control it had over life or our future. Although she never said a word, I knew that secretly she hated discussing her episodes even though she couldn't remember them.

Going through my rounds of questioning again, I was satisfied when she got everyone right except the spelling of antidisestablishmentarianism , which she could never get right before it happened. After she was sleeping, with snores as loud as car horns, I retrieved my phone and called everyone. I knew they would appreciate being woken up before 9 am on a holiday, but it had to be done.

"Hello, Hale Residence." Theresa said sleepily.

"Hello, Theresa, this is Bee. Could you please awake the Mr and Mrs., please? Something has happened and it's urgent that I speak with them."

At first Theresa was hesitant to wake her bosses, but I was pleased that she did once I heard the sleepy voice of Marcus Hale.

"Hello, this is Marcus Hale." He said gruffily.

"Hello, Mr. Hale this is Isabella. Sir, Rosalie had an episode this morning. She's resting easier now but I thought I would let you know." I said not wanting to go through any more pleasantries than necessary.

He expressed a doctor's general concern for his daughter and asked that I made sure she was safe before I left her alone anywhere, all of which I already knew. After letting me know he would send a driver over to chauffer Ro around for the duration of time her license required, he hung up. For a short while, I stared at the phone unable to believe that people could be so detached from their own child's well-being. I then called Alice and Esme, who both expressed extreme concern and threatened to cancel the party until I mentioned what Rosalie would do when she found out, both promised to stop by after the party and bring by food. I told them Rosalie probably wouldn't be up for company but they knew and vowed to keep the visit brief.

Checking one final time for any injuries I may have missed, I didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Lying next to Rosalie's sleeping form, I waited for her to come back around. I knew she would overanalyze the situation. She had a tendency to overgeneralize her life and sum it up to her illness. Never mind all that she accomplished, her illness was always a reason for fault in her eyes.

**RPOV**

I woke up with the sun beaming across my face. Turning over and burying my face in the pillow I tried to go back to sleep. I really didn't feel like getting up and I was almost positive my balance would be off even if I could. Running my hand over the bed, I noticed that it was empty and without even thinking, I screamed. Throwing back the covers, I threw my legs over the side of the bed and pushed off. I stumbled a bit but I eventually regained my balance and set out to find my lying girlfriend. Only, I was stopped in my tracks when I saw the notes on my dresser of what had happened. Even though I couldn't seem to remember any of it happening, _I had a seizure, again_. All I could see was red. I went through both bathrooms and the kitchen, before I found her in the laundry room separating the colors and dark. I couldn't help but glare at her, even though I knew she had done nothing wrong.

"Morning beautiful, you okay?" Bee asked obviously oblivious to my anger or choosing to ignore it.

"Mmhm whatever, I'm going back to bed. I have a headache." I said before heading back upstairs and drawing the blinds so I could sleep a while longer. I got under the covers, pulled them over my head, and lay there trying to go back to sleep. But my attempt was cut short when Bee pulled the covers back.

"Rosalie, what's the matter? When I left to go downstairs, you were still sleeping," she said looking confused and I guess if I was honest so was I. I didn't mean to go off, I just did.

"Nothing Bee, I'm just being silly. I know Bee, you didn't do anything. I was just kind of angry when I woke up and saw the notes." I said mumbling into the pillow hoping she didn't hear me. I felt her move and the next thing I knew she was pulling me on top of her. Instinctively, I rested my head on her shoulder

"It's not "nothing" Ro. Do you know how many sisters I have? When you say it's nothing, it's always something. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up, but I'm here now. Go back to sleep, I won't go anywhere and if I do you'll be the first to know" she said holding me against her. I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep. An hour later, I woke up feeling much better but far too comfortable to move. I wiped my face with the back of my hand and looked up at Bee.

"Hey, how was the nap, looked like you drooled a river on my shoulder" she said.

"Shutup I did not, it was fine thank you very much" I screamed climbing off of her and slyly checking to make sure I didn't actually drool.

"I'm just kidding, but you were dead for a while there. Are you hungry, you missed breakfast and lunch?" Bee said.

"Already, what time is it? Why didn't you wake me up? I'm supposed to be at my best friend's party" I said checking the clock.

"Just after four and you know Alice wouldn't hear of you going to that party. She'd probably kick you out herself." Bee said looking at me like I'd lost my mind. She was right. My best friend was probably driving Victoria crazy with their housewarming/Labor Day party on top of worrying about me. We laid there, silent, next to each other and it was the first time I noticed the awkward silences we kept having.

"Hey Bee….nevermind. Let's go have some breakfast," I said noting how she tensed slightly as I said the words when I pushed the covers off of me.

"Okay, what's up? I know that's not what you wanted to say. What's wrong?" she asked turning over onto her stomach and looking down at me.

"Nothing, really. I was just thinking, if we're going to make this work, where do we go from here?" I said confusedly.

"Where do you want it to go? I mean, I know that we're in this thing together and we both want it to work. But, I don't want to push you into anything." Bee said softly.

"Sometimes, I feel like we're moving too slow and it's hard to see a future with us together. Then other times, I feel like I jumped in too fast. I want everything with you. I want a home and a family, but I don't want to worry about what's going to happen five years from now when you're bored again and I'm trying to take care of our family without scaring them half to death. I have to know that you'll be there because I can't do it alone." I replied finally being totally honest with her.

"Ro, do you honestly think it will ever be like we that?" she asked looking slightly apprehensive.

"No, I don't and I don't want us to be that way. That is what got us here. We are going to be better." I said already avoiding the conversation in an attempt to dodge talking about what I really felt.

After scarfing down a few scrambled eggs and strawberries, I went to take a bath. My muscles ached and I needed to relax. Bee didn't want to leave me by myself, so she sat on the floor reading books on my Kindle. I didn't want her anywhere near me since I had woken up. Besides, I needed time to think. As I lathered the body wash all over me, I ran back over our earlier conversation in my mind.

Where do we go from here? Are we moving too fast? After yesterday, I was sure that for me there was no turning back. I was all in and I wanted to believe Bee felt that way too. If the way my body reacted to her wasn't enough an indication, then the fact that I was about on step away from curling into her side and never leaving should have driven home for her. Still, I didn't want to assume. I assumed a lot before and all that got me was tears and a lot of lonely nights. But, it's not assuming if you know. I know she's tired of me.

Resolved, I stepped out of the tub with a little help, wrapping a towel around me and dashing out of my warm bathroom into the air conditioned coolness of my closet. Throwing on some sweat pants and a tank top, I went back to my bed. I didn't want to believe it but I knew it was true. Bee was going to leave me again. And this time, I was sure I would break.

**BPOV**

I could see the emotion drain from her face as I stood in the door to the bathroom, leaning against the frame. I'd watched her move around the room and find her way back to the bed, all the while keeping my distance. I knew she didn't want me near her. That's how it always was. She didn't want me to take care of her. She wanted to be left alone, because she assumed, no matter how many times I negated her, that I would eventually leave her and find some other woman who could take care of herself. My own actions hadn't helped and I was paying dearly for it.

I couldn't understand what it was like to be Rosalie, and that was the hardest part about loving her. To everybody that saw her on the street, at work, or even out at dinner Rosalie had it all. She always had it all. The world was handed to her and her parents taught her that there was nothing she couldn't have or do. Until her diagnosis, her life was picture perfect. She was in control. After was an entirely different story. For somebody who never had to worry, all of a sudden all she could do was worry. I mean, what would you do if you knew that sometimes even your own body wasn't under your control?

Of course, it was only compounded by the fact that Didyme, well-meaning as she was seemed more concerned about who would marry her or what kind of life she could give her non-existent children in the future. To her this was a major catastrophe. To Rosalie, it was her first failure. Once she was diagnosed, her parents became even harder on her to do well to make up for her 'little problem'. It was like after that, in the eyes of her parents, she could never do anything right including being in a relationship with me.

I definitely didn't help the matter by doing everything they expected me to do. I was good enough to fit in with their friends, I was too low class, I didn't go to Harvard, and worse of all I cheated on their kind-hearted daughter who loved me even if it wasn't 'right'. I was so through with her parents at times that I didn't know what to do. But, that didn't make me love her less. In fact, I loved her more for being everything that they weren't. No matter what Rosalie thought, this wasn't a game for me. I loved her and I knew that now was the time when I would have to prove it.

I climbed up on the bed to sit next to her, but she just moved away, further encasing her body in the comforter like a safety blanket.

"Look Rosalie, I don't know what it's like for you to go through this and I have prayed so many times for there to be a way I could fix it. But I can't, and honestly, even if I could it wouldn't matter. I would love you with or without any of that. You could be poor, fat, ugly, and living in a shack in the backcountry somewhere and I would right there with you, dirt poor and in love with you and our team of children." I said trying to get her to laugh even though I was serious. All I got was a muffled laugh and a scoff, but that was enough because I knew she was listening.

"I know it's hard for you to believe this but I really can't imagine a more perfect person for me than you. I mean, yeah sometimes you yawn like a kitten, you are expensive as hell, your hair is like way to wavy for a ponytail after you wash it, and if I didn't know any better I'd say you had a bottomless pit for a stomach. Sometimes you're really opinionated, you sing opera like its actually real music, and you watch NCIS like it's the marathon countdown to Jesus' return. And, surprisingly I have managed to love all of that, as if I had to try. None of those things sound bad to me. In fact some of them are really cute." I said continuing my nonsense ramble when I heard her laugh.

"But you know what I love most? I love that, one day, at the end of the day after the lights are off and our 2.5 children are asleep, I can look at you and still see the beauty that I fell in love with years ago. I'll see all the wonderful things we've accomplished together, the love we have for each other, and our children who I hope are much better looking than me, and I'll love you more for it. This isn't the end of our world Rosalie. The way I feel about you will never change as long as you love me…and if it does maybe even then, but no promises." I said finishing out my speech and peering down at her, taking my eyes from their former spot looking at the ceiling.

Ro had moved closer to me and I could see the tears in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. I was powerless to stop it when my own tears started to form. Pulling her closer to me, I lay on my side with her sobbing in front of me. I let her cry until it all ran out. It was the least I could do for her. Eventually, the sobs quieted and all I heard was small whimpers. I would have been worried, if she didn't cry at all. We lay there silently for a while and it was comfortable, like after a thunderstorm and everything just seems to be much calmer.

"I can be fat and ugly, with half a kid?" Rosalie said questioningly, in a garbled voice, before erupting with laughter.

"And poor and obnoxious too, but really who's keeping track?" I responded happy to see my girl smiling again.

_Correction: This is why I love her._


	9. Chapter 9: Domestication

**I'm back! I wasn't gone too long but during twelve hour flight and a twenty- six hour ride, I decided to go ahead and type this chapter out for you guys. I loved your reviews and I'm glad you liked the chapter. I enjoy reading the ideas in my journal just as much. It was so hard leaving my family, but at least I have writing to keep me occupied and school soon, now that I'm officially off of Spring Break. Hopefully, this tethering thing works on my phone. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. –Isis P.**

**RPOV**

Lying on my couch, watching TV with Bee was how I would rather have spent this time, but nooooo, that was much too simple. Instead, I'm stuck in San Francisco at an Annual Meeting that I honestly, couldn't give a crap less about. Bee, of course, tried to come with me. But, she had to work and I was going to be away from her all day anyway. So now, I'm sitting here listening to somebody go on and on about developing personal expertise….Two more days of this and I could go home. Just two more days, and I would be back where I belong.

Thankfully, the firm paid for us to have drivers because I almost considered not coming when my father said he'd get me a chauffeur. I wanted to scream "Hello, do my hands look broke to you?" But, I dropped it. No sense in arguing over nothing. This whole idea was just ridiculous. Still, what was even more pathetic was the way I cried when I left. I don't think I've ever gotten that emotional over leaving Bee before. Then again, she's never been like this before. I loved her before, I'm just speechless now.

I do appreciate the changes though. Things were much easier between us. Last week was a bit of a blunder after my little "incident" and all, but it all worked out for the best once Bee was calmed down. We'd spent every moment together outside of work, except Wednesday when she was on call. I had only left a day ago and I couldn't wait to get back to see her. Okay, and maybe I was a little clingy, but I was enjoying the fact that for the first time in years Bee actually cared about something outside of work. If that something just so happened to be me again, after all that time, who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth?

The following next passed much like the first in strange lulls of dullness that made me want to pull my hair out at the root and scream bloody murder. I had never been so bored in my entire life. On top of that, the time zones were kicking my butt! Two hours difference doesn't seem like a lot until you're missing sleep at what would normally be 6 a.m. for you. Still, the time passed and I was rewarded at the end of the day with a Skype chat from Bee. By the time the plane was landing, I was ready to sprint out of the airport. I was exhausted and I didn't want anything but Bee and my bed with clean linens. Just the thought of it was like a model for my own personal heaven.

It was already after midnight and I was ready to go home, but I figured I'd surprise Bee. She was going to pick me up from the airport but she wasn't expecting me to be home early. I'd skipped out the reception dinner, knowing I wouldn't miss anything other than a bunch of drunken lawyers trying to hook up before they went home to their husbands and wives. Really, that wasn't my cup of tea. So, I caught a cabby instead and took the ride to Bee's apartment. Although I had spent many evenings there, her place never felt like home to me. Still, I could see why Bee liked it. It screamed her. The furniture is modern and sharp with only the most neutral colored paints. It was edgy, on the right side of conservative. It was her in an apartment.

After paying cab fare and locating the spare key, I went through the wiggle routine until the door opened. As usual, I was greeted by Rocko, who I thought would have been sleeping. After he came over to rub against my leg, he went back to his bed and I went Bee's bedroom to find her right where I knew she would be, on her bed laying on her back spread eagle like she just landed on the bed. As I got closer, I could hear the slow, even breathing and see her facial expressions change while she dreamed.

After removing my blazer and jeans and laying them across her chair, I climbed onto her back and started to massage her shoulder, kissing right below her ear. Almost instantaneously, she woke up but I continued my ministrations until she tried to flip me over. Filling the space, next to her in bed I laughed when she rolled over on her side pulling my body against hers. Willing myself to stay in control, I lay there totally still, until I felt how hard she was. It took everything in me not to moan at the thought of all the deliciously sinful things I could do right now.

Bee's hold on my hips tightened and it was like I couldn't stop it. My ass just started grinding back into her and all I really wanted for her to take my shirt off and fuck me. But I had to stay focused on the plan. Silently willing myself to stop, I regained control over myself.

"Ugh, Ro, you fucking tease." Bee screamed into her pillow.

"Sorry, baby. I'm tired. Maybe next time?" I said really trying to mean it although refusing her was the last thing on my mind.

"Fine. If I didn't love you so much, this would be unacceptable. Go to sleep." Bee said sounding hurt. I knew she was going to lay it on thick.

"Night!" I said in a chipper voice before I leaned over to kiss her goodnight. I put everything I had into that kiss and if the way we were panting when it was over was a predictor I knew that by the next morning, I'd have a reason to want to stay in bed all day.

**BPOV**

I don't know if they brought it back for another season, but I'm pretty damn sure I'm being Punked and Ashton Kutcher is just waiting for the right moment to come out and rag on me for being such an idiot. Rosalie has been torturing me all week. You would think that her being gone would have put an end to it, but oh no. You would be wrong. She made a point of fucking with my mind whenever I talked to her. I promised to God and every other heavenly being that this would stop as soon as she came back. To think this all started a week ago….

**Flashback**

I went to the living room and lay out on the couch. Grabbing the remote, I flipped through the channels until I saw Thirteen Ghosts.

_Rosalie is going to have a heart attack when she sees this!_

"Hey Ro, come watch TV with me," I said.

"What are we-No, Bee! I'm not watching this! Turn it please!," Rosalie said sitting down looking like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Aww, babe, don't be serious it's not even that scary really." I replied sincerely.

"Last time you said that, I had nightmares. I don't trust your judgment, sorry!" Rosalie snapped, grabbing the remote and turning the channel.

"I'm hurt that you don't trust me. I would've protected you, or are you afraid of the monsters in your closet?" I said jokingly which earned me a glare.

"No I'm not afraid and if you keep that up, I'm afraid you'll be sexless for quite a while longer. I'm capable of holding out for a while. Are you?" Rosalie said before going to the kitchen to get something to drink.

Why, why, why did I have to keep putting my foot in my mouth! Shit!

**End of Flashback**

Now, I'm laying here once again nursing a hard on while the beautiful woman next to me is asleep, basking in the satisfaction of having owned me…once again. Fuck. My. Life.

The next morning, I awoke to Rosalie staring up at me like she saw the light. Judging the way she was breathing and the way she biting her lip I knew she was horny. But, being her she wouldn't admit to it. Not if it meant I would win. She was far too competitive to lose. For the sake of both of us and our continued sex life, I would have to cave first. At this point, I wasn't above anything that would get me between her legs again.

"I'm going to shower and then you can take me home," Rosalie asked suddenly bringing me out of my inner thoughts to stare at her as she got of bed.

"How long are you going to do this to me?" I was whining like a little baby as I got out of bed to follow her to the bathroom, practically on the verge of begging.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." She said and she turned to close the door on me. I put my hand on it and stopped her.

"Rosalie." I growled starting to get agitated with her lack of interest.

"Isabella." She said with just as much force, rolling her eyes at me. Still, she moved my hand and slammed the door.

_Too bad this time I wasn't letting her get away with it._

Stripping off all my clothes, I walked into the bathroom and the water was already on. I saw her profile as she rinsed the shampoo from her hair. Sliding in behind her, I pushed her against the wall and assaulted her neck with open mouth kisses.

"Baby." She moaned.

"You know, you shouldn't have kept my pussy from me."

"Oh, really? You finally realized it still belonged to you, huh?" Rosalie taunted me. "This could have been solved days ago. All that extra work I put in flouncing around like a skank in my apartment could have solved it. You gave up to quickly Bee. Plus, I haven't seen you in days so I'm not sure who's I am anymore. By now, I own myself again."

"Is that right?" My hand slid from her waist to her pussy before she could stop me.

"Wait a minute. I was just playing." Rosalie grabbed my arm, even though her hips were already reacting to my touch.

"I'm not playing." I replied, my fingers immersed in luscious wetness.

"I-I can s-see that." Rosalie said as she draped her leg over my waist.

"You know I don't like you keeping my pussy from me, Rosalie." I informed her, my palm caressing her clit.

"I had t-to, B-Baby...mmm shit. Bee!" Her nails dug into my arm. "Right there, Baby! Right there!" she said practically on the verge of cumming .

"You sure?" I teased, loving the way her body responded to me.

"Yes! I'm sure, I'm sure! B-Bee!" she started to clench around my fingers and I immediately pulled them out.

"Baby." she protested pouting, before I kissed her and she returned it just as much. All the aggression and pent up frustration and anger was in that kiss. All of the things we felt in the past week were making the moment even more heated. I went to her shoulder and sucked hard enough to leave a mark. I shoved my cock into her and stalled. If I had to suffer, she had to beg.

"Please Bee, please." She whimpered into the crook of my neck. I thrust into her hard and deep. She put her head back and growled. "Fuck." She cursed and it was so fucking sexy I swear I almost came at the sound of it.

"Oh trust me, I plan to. You've been holding out on me. Now, I have to show you who you belong to." I said into her ear. I took her earlobe into my mouth and she moaned. Now having given up on speaking, Ro just let out deep pants, feeling her orgasm nearing quickly. She tightened her legs around my waist, trying her hardest to pull me deeper inside her.

"Are you close baby? Let go for me." I said in her ear, before I kissed her luscious lips like my life depended on it, just as Rosalie fell off the edge and into a blissful release. Mixed in with my name were moans and whimpers that, along with the tightness surrounding made me cum. Finally, we were both blissfully sexed out. She slowed down the movement of her hips, bringing her breathing to a steady pace before she spoke again.

"Jesus, honey, you act like you haven't had it in a year or something." Rosalie said as I helped her down.

"Shit it was long enough. Then you were mad at me too. That just made it worse." I said truthfully.

Her voice was soft. "Did it?"

"Yeah, I hate it when you're mad at me." I replied as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

"Then, don't do stupid things." She answered seriously

"Lesson learned" And as many times as I'd said that, we both knew it wasn't. Sometimes I'm an idiot, but making up is part of the fun.

"You know, this was the first time you have ever abided by the no sex punishment. I was very surprised." Rosalie admitted we showered away all the remnants of our impromptu sex session. "All that teasing I did and absolutely nothing to show for it."

Huh? "What are you talking about? I did try." My confusion knew no bounds. As she stepped from the shower, I was given an unobstructed view of sexy, bare ass until her towel covered it.

"You half-ass tried." She sighed as she grabbed another one for her hair. "But I think you have redeemed yourself."

Wrapping myself in a towel to avoid dripping all over the floor, I followed her into my room. "You know if you really need me to show how redeemed I am, I can. I really want you to feel that, you know, how redeemed I am."

Rosalie laughed and skipped the rest of the way. She was still giggling when I caught up with her slipping out of her towel and even more still when she was on her hands and knees in the bed. The snickering suddenly became moans of pleasure when I positioned my head between her thighs. She did say I made up for it after all. All in all, I think my morning ended well; with a mouth full of Rosalie and my ears full of redemption.

As soon as we were both spent and I was sure I would pass out from exhaustion, I pulled her body against mine and inhaled the scent of her cherry blossom shampoo. Before I could even think about it, the words came tumbling out.

"Ro, let's move in together" I said, a big mass of air stuck in my throat as I waited for her to end my misery.

"Okay," she responded sleepily, "But you're doing the moving. My place is bigger and your door really irritates me."

So it was official, we made up. And I was moving in with my girlfriend. I, Isabella Swan am officially becoming domestic. And honestly, I couldn't be happier.


	10. Chapter 10: Breaking Bad

**In case I never told you, you are awesome! I'm glad you liked the last chapter. It was one of my favorites when I wrote it. Given that I wrote this entire story all by hand before I ever had the courage to post it, I'm surprised that any of you even like this story. It's a humbling experience really. Anyway, like all of you I'm glad Bee has gotten herself together now…ever the more 'colorful' expressions were accurate. I owe you this one so I figured I type it out before I dive head first into this work. Enjoy your Sunday lovelies! – Isis P. **

RPOV

"What?!" Esme and Alice screamed, after I told them about Bee's suggestion.

"Guys, be serious, we're moving in together," I said a little put out at the disbelief I was getting from my best friends.

"Oh no, we heard you. We just wanted to make sure you were serious. Does Bee know she said that?" Alice said spewing off questions at a mile a minute.

"Alice, hush. They've been together longer than you and Victoria have and you already have a house together. They know what they're doing. Wait, Rosalie, you do know what you're doing right?"

"Look, she's moving in with me. That's that. I just thought I should tell you to save you some embarrassing experiences considering your love of popping up at a moment's notice." I said thoroughly pissed with their lack of enthusiasm. Why couldn't they just be happy for me? Is that too much to ask or am I pushing the limits of friendship by asking for cooperation?

"Lighten up Rosie, I was only kidding. I love Bee like family you know that. Moving in, huh? So, this means shopping right?!" Alice said happily to the point where I could almost hear her bouncing in her chair.

"Alice, I don't think Victoria would be too happy about that." Esme responded, remembering how much Alice spent to furnish their home. Victoria nearly blew a gasket, but after a while she admitted that all of her purchases were totally worth the cost. "Rosalie, I think it's a wonderful idea. I'm happy for you, really. We'll have to celebrate!"

"Thanks guys, my lunch break's over, so we'll discuss details later, okay?" I answered suddenly much happier.

"Bye, Rosie!" They shouted in unison.

_Sometimes they were annoying and nosy, but I loved my best friends._

Now that they were in the know, the only person left to notify was my mother. I knew hoping to talk to both her and my father was a far reach considering they're inability to be in the same place at the same time unless it was absolutely necessary. If you didn't know any better, you would think they hated each other. Sadly, you are probably right. They haven't really had much of a relationship since Jasper and I were young children. They have a piece of paper and they just so happen to cohabitate. Still, I knew if I told her, she'd tell him and Jasper, no doubt ranting about my poor life choices. Under normal conditions, I would have scheduled dinner or gone over to her house to see her outside of her 'drive by, in the neighborhood' visits, but considering the circumstances and the nature of the invitation I would have to wait until tomorrow evening while Bee was working.

After calling her to invite her to dinner at my house they following evening, I went about my work ready to go home and take a break, I was exhausted and all I really wanted was sleep. On top of jet lag and spending the last two days with Bee, my body was in strong protest of any activity whatsoever. I needed to sleep, and sleep I would just as soon as I finished this brief. Hours later, I hailed a cabby to my apartment after my eyelids started to droop. Considering my zombie-like state I decided to forgo the shower when I went inside after paying the driver. I knew I wasn't going to see Bee tonight, as she was staying at her place to pack. Since I wasn't hungry, I skipped dinner altogether. Removing my skirt and stockings, I grabbed a pair of socks and put them on before curling up on my bed and going to sleep.

Wednesday….Better known as Doomsday. I didn't even want to wake up this morning and if it hadn't been for Starbucks and those two donut sticks I ate, I'm sure I wouldn't have been. A large amount of caffeine was a no go but I could chug hot chocolate with the best of them. After joking around with my secretary about last week's episode of Scandal and putting in my bet on the new Steubenville case, I met with a few possible clients before going over my notes and doing some research. I had a few weeks until my date in appeals court and my argument had to be airtight.

After I made it home, I only had a short time to make dinner, before my mom would show up. Looking around my apartment, I noticed that it was a little messy but I didn't have time to clean. That would just be one more thing for my mother to say, whatever. I just wanted to make through this dinner. I had just pulled the potatoes out of the oven, when I heard my mother's voice.

"Rosalie, where are you?" she called from the door.

"In the kitchen Mother, make yourself at home since you already invited yourself in." I said, not really meaning to be rude, but already anticipating her attitude.

"No thank you, I'll just join you in the kitchen. This place is a mess. Hopefully it's somewhere to sit in there." She replied coming to stand in the entranceway of the kitchen. "At least, I taught you to do something right. The kitchen is at least decent."

As much as I wanted to give her a piece of my mind, I held my tongue. She was not going to get the best of me. "Hello, Mother. How are you? Did you have a nice day?" I said feigning interest in her life when all I really wanted to do was put her out.

"It was fine I suppose. It is so hard to find a quality manicurist these days though.." she acknowledged as I listened to her drone on and on about a day in the life of Didyme Hale, Washington's most influential retiree. We were already an hour into dinner and no closer to addressing the reason for the dinner invitation than when we began.

"Mother, Isabella and I moved in together," I shouted out over her. An almost deafening silence descended and I knew that the hellfire and brimstone were not far behind.

"WHAT ARE YOU THINKING, ROSALIE. I LET YOU HAVE YOUR FUN, BUT THIS HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH. AND AFTER ALL THE WORK WE PUT INTO FINDING THIS APARTMENT, YOU WANT TO LEAVE IT TO GO SHACK UP WITH SOME LOOSE WOMAN…NO THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE AND I CAN'T ALLOW IT." She screamed and it hurt but I wasn't going to back down or show any sign of weakness. I wasn't going to let her control my life.

"Mother, this isn't a game. I'm not leaving anywhere, Bee lives here. I'm not asking for your acceptance. I'm a grown woman. Whether you choose to accept me is your business, but don't expect me to welcome you in my life if you don't. It's my life and I'll make the decisions. I'd hate to lose my mother over this." I replied trying my hardest to remain civil to my mother, but finding it extremely difficult. I felt like I owed her respect because she was my mother, but I didn't know how much longer that would last.

"Rosie, you obviously are confused. I understand that but don't let this mess up your life. This is just a phase. It'll blow over and I don't want you to be stuck with anything when it does. Promise me, you'll hold off on making big decisions." She said as if it was the most logical, natural thing in the world. All I could do was slam my fists to the table as I started to fume. I wanted to be nice, but nice reached its limit.

I couldn't stop it when I glared at her. "MOM, STOP! THIS ISN'T JUST SOME PHASE AND IT'S NEVER GOING AWAY BECAUSE I LOVE HER. I LOVE BEE, MOM. IT'S NOT GOING TO STOP. NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU WISH IT WOULD SO YOU CAN MARRY ME OFF AND MAKE ME A TROPHY WIFE. I KNOW YOU DON'T AGREE WITH WHO I AM AND YOU THINK I'M CONFUSED, BUT I KNOW WHAT I WANT. I KNOW I'M A DISAPPOINTMENT TO YOU AND YOU'RE PRAYING I CHANGE BUT GUESS WHAT, IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE. I'LL GET MARRIED EVENTUALLY AND ONE DAY I MAY HAVE CHILDREN. BUT I WILL NEVER LOVE ANYBODY, THE WAY I LOVE BELLA," I said as I sat back in my chair exhausted from my rant, with tears streaming down my face.

My mother took a few deep breaths before she reacted, looking like I had just punched her in the stomach. She lifted her chin so she could look me square in the eye for the first time in years without yelling at me, before grabbing my hands and sitting in silence with me. As she turned her body towards me and placed a kiss on my forehead before I felt her tears fall.

"Rosalie, you are my baby girl. You're the only daughter I have, and yet you're the one child I could never understand. Jasper was so predictable, easy to direct. But, not you, no you were the exact opposite. You've always been stubborn and headstrong. You wanted everything your way. At times, it can be frustrating because we are so alike in that way. Regardless, you're a part of my family. I loved you from the moment I found out about you and that has never changed. I don't hate you and I'm sorry if I ever made you feel that way. I have always had dreams, for you and yes, I wanted you to grow up and have a family of your own with the man,"

"Mom!" I cut in sternly.

"Let me finish Rosalie, I wanted you with the man you loved. When you were diagnosed, I was so angry. I had done everything right. Life, for you, should have been smooth sailing. The world was supposed to be yours. A small part of me saw that die. I gave up on you. When you told us that you liked girls, I saw that dream for you disappear altogether and I was saddened. I didn't want you to have to face any more difficulty than you already had. I couldn't and I still can't understand why you couldn't be content with just having a normal life. But, you've never been a conformist, so if I have supported you this far, I won't stop now." She said hesitantly as if it was killing her.

"This is your life, and if that's what makes you happy then go for it. I don't want to miss out on your life. I'm not totally okay with this yet. I'm not saying I'll be the best mother ever, but I'll try for your sake." my mother said. I had never known how she really felt as she was always standing behind my father, but I wasn't expecting this. To say I was shocked was a bit of an understatement. It wasn't just about Bee; it was all about her hopes and dreams too, her living vicariously through me. But then again, I should have guessed. She always had been selfish.

"Thanks, Mom. Do you think you could handle Daddy for me?" I said with the brightest smile I could manage.

"Oh no, sorry Rosalie, but you're on your own there." She said laughing at my scared expression. "Don't worry, it'll be easier than this was. Just bat your eyelashes and say "Daddy" in that stupid, annoying voice he likes so much and he's sold." She said back to her normal self, guarded and snobby.

"Gee, thanks, you sure know how to kick a girl when she's down," I said pushing my food around my plate to avoid looking at my mother.

"Anytime, now let's talk about this pig sty." She responded, shaking her head. I was sure she had forgotten all about Bee and was ready to criticize me once again, but it felt good to be on the same page for once, even if it was for only five minutes.

**BPOV**

"Now, dinners on the stove if you get hungry, don't break anything and we'll be back in a few hours, okay?" Alice said looking skeptical about leaving us alone in her precious house.

"We got it sweetie, go have fun and don't spend too much, please." Victoria said ushering her out the door with Rosalie and Esme following shortly behind. Once they were out the door, Victoria and I exchanged glances. The girls had decided to devote Friday dinner to their shopping time this week, so that they could still have lunch on Sunday. Being the smart women that we are, V and I both agreed to avoid sleeping on the couch. Both of us also knew that Alice was about to put V in debt, but kept quiet for the most part.

Oh, the things we do for love. Removing my jacket, I laid it across the couch and laughed at Victoria's heartbroken expression. "So what's new V," I said trying to take her mind off of the small fortune Alice was spending.

"I should be asking you. It's your fault that Alice is about to buy enough crap to furnish a palace." V responded snappily.

"Sorry, I should have known Ro would enlist help though. Don't worry; I'm sure she can't do too much damage. She doesn't live there after all." I replied, pointing out the logic of the situation. V found renewed faith and smiled again, before flipping through the TV channels.

"Hey, Bee, Carlisle is coming over later after work. Who knows how long they'll be gone and Esme didn't want him to get bored." V informed me before filling me in on this 'Carlisle' person. I heard a lot about him from Rosalie but neither of us had actually met him. Rosalie, being her normal self, was more focused on the details than who he was as a person. So far all I knew was where he worked, where he was from and how Esme felt. Given my own past, Ro didn't feel it was right for me to judge him without having met him. But, that was a false hope falling on deaf ears.

Esme and Alice are both like sisters to me so, naturally, I would be apprehensive until I knew for sure that he was okay. Especially since Esme didn't have any family, I had to look out for her. I was the same way with V at first, but she was cool and we quickly became friends. So, I had faith that Esme had made just as good a choice and I wouldn't have to kill anybody on Alice's expensive Persian rug.

When he showed up, he looked scared as shit so I knew Esme had already warned him. As much as I didn't want to laugh at him I couldn't help it. He was way too serious, but he seemed alright. After three hours of talking about dumb TV shows and eating all the food they made for us while trying to keep our drinks down, I was able to give him my stamp of approval. He was a little uptight at first, but Carlisle was cool. I could see us hanging out in the future.

When the girls came back, Alice looked like she was over the moon, while Rosalie and Esme looked like they were a step away from the grave. All three of the women were loaded down with bags and I inwardly smirked at the thought of V's credit card bill. Rosalie looked dead on her feet, with her heels in her hand her and her hair pulled back in a sweaty pony tail. Rallying help from Victoria and Carlisle, we loaded all of Rosalie and Esme's stuff into the cars before I went back to retrieve a complaining Rosalie from Alice's sofa.

Once I had her in the passenger seat and buckled in, I turned the radio on to the Classical station and started the half hour drive to our apartment, knowing Rosalie would be asleep before we got home. When we reached the last red light, I looked over to see her hair loose from its ponytail and her head resting against the window as she slept. That's when it dawned on me…_What about my credit card?! Oh Hell! I'm never letting Alice near her again._


	11. Chapter 11: Compromise Say WHAT?

**Alright, now that my paper is out of the way, I can really focus on writing this chapter and possibly the next one too. I appreciate the compliments on my writing, thank you. It has been cleaned up a tiny bit before you see it, although Simrin promises to only correct slang terms for me. Alright, moving on to talk about these reviews. Yes, I laughed a bit at shopaholic Alice, Carlisle made it through without any harm thank goodness, and Rosalie's time will come and when it does, well…Anyway, no baby news this chapter!**

**RPOV**

The next few weeks passed quickly. Bee was fully moved in, and after several trips to Costco, Pottery Barn, and IKEA both Bella and her credit card were pleased with the changes to our apartment. The process of making our home less ME and more US wasn't hard, but it was very time consuming. The closet was the hardest part but, after a few days, everything fell into its natural place. Now, it was like we had always lived together. I don't know, maybe that's because it was still new. Everything was great.

Okay, so not everything was great. Like no matter how much time I spent with Bee, there are things I just didn't know about her until now. The biggest thing I have discovered is that she is like a freaking ball of energy all the time. The girl never gets tired. And I suppose, on one hand that is extremely beneficial considering her job and the fact that her sexual appetite is astounding, not that I'm complaining. On the other, it's a real downer when she sings in the shower at five in the morning like it's the middle of the afternoon while she prepares for work. While the rest of us are sleeping, she's singing Maroon 5 in an alto. Talk about a wakeup call. I now keep ear muffs in my bedside table.

Other than the small things though, life was moving right along for us. Bee was always gone before I had even considered getting up in the mornings, but she made it home shortly after I did in the evenings and we were able to spend our nights together. Just us and, our huge baby, Rocko the spoiled brat that he is. We were perpetually stuck in the honeymoon phase, as Victoria jokingly referred to it, wrapped up in each other.

Halloween night, as we sat on the couch watching Michael Meyers slash through body after gory body, for the sake of tradition on Bee's behalf, I was well on my way to having a nervous breakdown when the doorbell rang and I clung to Bee's shirt for dear life. Shaking her head at me, she pressed the recall button on the remote and went to hand out candy to the passersby. With Giada DeLaurentis' voice floating through the room as she discussed how to make Bloody Mary cocktails, I was able to slow my heart rate and down focus on something other than a death count and the protocol for surviving a scary movie.

That's when I got my first bright idea. When Bee sat back down I lay down and rested my head on the couch pillow in her lap as she ran her fingers through my hair absently while staring at the tv. Formulating my argument, I went through all the steps until I was sure I was ready to bring it up. As a Free Credit Score commercial popped up, I lifted up , sitting next to Bee which earned me a strange look from both her and Rocko who seemed quite complacent and relaxed.

"Honey, I was thinking, don't kill me okay." I said preemptively, silently praying for my desired outcome.

"Yes, Ro, what is it? I won't kill you if you stop the suspense." Bee said laughing at my serious facial expression.

"Well, I was just thinking if it's okay with you of course, that we could invite your family and have Thanksgiving here this year." I said anxiously.

"Babe, I understand. But, I don't think that's such a good idea really." Bee said looking away from me like I had physically wounded her or something.

"Please? I mean I know you always spend Thanksgiving with them and I stay here with my family. But, why can't we do it all together? That way, we can spend it with each other finally. Of course, we would invite Alice and Esme and they'll bring Victoria and Carlisle along. It'll be great." I responded taking her reply as a maybe and running with a selling point.

"Rosalie, I know you thought it out, but I don't see that working. I'm going to say no. I don't see how you could see that as a good thing. I know you're their daughter, but have you met your parents? And my mom really, Ro- just no. That's out." Bee said without even blinking.

"Fine. That's okay, maybe another time then," I answered stoically, no expression visible on my face other than the fake smile I plastered there to hide how pissed I really was. I left Bee to go shower. While I was removing my last bit of makeup before stepping into the steaming water, I head the door slam. Bee was gone, but this time I wouldn't cry. I was right.

What confused me though was the fact that even though she had been honest with me about how she felt, I still felt like she wasn't being receptive to what I wanted. It seemed weird to me that she thought that just because I asked her opinion her decision was the only one that mattered, as if the final say so was hers alone. There was no room for real discussion because there was no swaying her. According to my girlfriend a Thanksgiving with us together was not only not meant to happen, but a sure fire catastrophe. That really makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside doesn't it.

Going back downstairs after a rather long shower, I turned off the TV and all of the lights except a side table lamp. Drawing the curtains I sat the candy outside on a chair until the next morning and went to the kitchen to grab a water bottle. Once I was back in my room, I turned on my iHome and took my medication. With Rocko resting on the floor next to the bed, I pulled out my favorite book and began to read through the all too familiar pages.

**BPOV**

Ughhhhhh! Sometimes, that woman could be difficult for no reason at all. It's not like what I was stating was a totally foreign concept for her. This wasn't something new. We all had an understanding that her family and my family, while unique in their own ways, were like oil and water. The two simply did not, would not, mix. It was better for all parties involved that we minimized their exposure to each other to avoid any subsequent arguments or possible fist fights. Knowing my family, it would go downhill faster than any of us could stop it and we'd spend the night in the E.R…..the last place I really want to be on Thanksgiving.

I had been riding over three hours and as bad as I wanted something to take the edge off, drinking was out of the question. Not only would I have to call Victoria to come pick me up from whatever bar I ended up in Alice would be upset at me for calling her out so late and Rosalie would kill me if and when she found out. Knowing her, and her busybody tendencies, it would only be a matter of time. Stopping at a gas station, I decided to fill my tank back up and go home. I had to work the next morning, and I didn't want Rosalie to worry.

When I went in to pay, I was surprised to find Zafrina Mitchell behind the counter. I mean I don't know why it shocked me. She had to work somewhere right? And it couldn't be too intensive considering the fact that she was still in college. But, she hadn't exactly had time to tell me much else about herself between us having sex and me putting her out so how was I supposed to know? Going over to the cooler, I grabbed a grape soda before going to pay for my purchases. When she spotted me, her face lit up and I couldn't help the smirk that spread across my face.

"Hello, Isabella, how nice to see you again," she said not bothering to take her eyes off my face long enough to ring me up.

"Hello, Zafrina." I acknowledged, trying not to sound interested.

"Don't be so stiff. What are you doin' tonight? I get out of here at 4 if you wanna do something," she replied trying to sound seductive while raising her eyebrow suggestively. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach and questioned why the hell I had ever had sex with this girl. She wasn't even that cute.

"No thanks, I have to get back home to my girlfriend. She's probably worried sick." I said as she quickly shoved my soda into a plastic bag.

"Oh," was her only response and I found it funny how quickly she deflated and the look of hope left her eyes. Although she was put out, I was glad to know she still had morals and the world hadn't totally corrupted her into thinking it was okay to sleep with someone in a committed relationship.

"Bye Zafrina," I said looking over my shoulder as I walked out of the store. Once I was back in my car, I took a deep breath and stilled myself for what awaited me at home. I wasn't sure what it would be. However, knowing Ro she could come out with guns blazing, ready for war. After taking a sip of my soda, I put the bottle in my cup holder and broke the speed limit all the way home.

When I unlocked the door to our apartment, all the lights were out except one. I had expected to see a blanket and pillow waiting for me on the couch after my little performance, but there was none. Instead of dwelling on it, I put the rest of my unfinished soda in the refrigerator knowing Rosalie would finish it off for me. Turning off the lamp, I headed to our bedroom to see Rosalie asleep with _Gulliver's Travels_ lying next to her. Closing the book I put it on her bedside table only to jump when start to fight in her sleep.

"Baby, wake up." I shouted, really feeling like an asshole for being selfish and making her watch that movie knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep afterward. When I saw her open her eyes I knew she would be alright, at least for a little while.

"I'm sorry, Bee. It wasn't that bad, really." she said softly, as if I was going to reprimand her for something that was obviously my fault. God, I am really dense sometimes.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's not your fault. I take the blame for this one. No more scary movies, okay?" I said trying to appease Ro long enough for her to calm down.

"You know, when you left, I was so scared to be by myself after that movie. I was worried you wouldn't come back. But I heard you call me just now and I had to wake up to be sure that it was real. I knew if I woke up and you were here that you weren't going to leave me, and then I would be fine. It's stupid I know. But, you're here." Rosalie spouted off, still missing her verbal filter given the fact that she had just woken up. Had it been intact, I knew she would never have told me that, just because she didn't like to admit that she feared anything.

The whole thing was kind of reaffirming really. As I stared down at her, in total awe of the words that had just come out of her mouth, she took me by surprise and pulled me into a fierce kiss. She wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer until I was hovering over her. As she continued to kiss me, she took her arms and slipped them around my neck. I moaned when I felt her body press into me. I broke the kiss and stripped us both of our clothes before pressing myself tightly against her, the feel of my now very apparent hard on rubbing her pussy driving me slightly insane.

"I'm sorry I made you worry Rosie. I didn't mean to overreact, but I swear I'll try harder next time. You deserve to have a say too. I'm sorry I freaked. I didn't mean to scare you either," I leaned on my arms that were resting on either side of her face to express my feelings the best way I knew how, looking into her eyes. But, I got caught up in her lips and broke contact.

"Baby, I really am sorry. You know I love you, I just act so stupid sometimes, and I don't even realize how bad I've messed up. I would never intentionally treat you like that." Focused on my original intent, I could see the look of love and adoration, but most of all the lust in her eyes that overwhelmed me. Still, it was nothing compared to the sensation I felt when I was inside her again. We both gasped at the sheer force of it and clung to each other like life rafts. It wasn't too rough and it wasn't love-making, we found a happy medium that conveyed everything we felt in that moment. I knew the issue wasn't resolved, and we'd probably end up arguing about it again, but I could never walk away from her like that again.

As we got close to our climaxes, the pace changed. We went from sex to straight out fucking. And, as a true testament to who she was, Ro just keep begging me to keep going, at one point even threatening me if I even thought of discontinuing. Because, this time, no matter what I got out of it, this was about what Rosalie needed. Coincidentally, what she didn't need was cupcake sex. So I did as she asked. When her legs locked around my waist, I found my favorite spot within her and continuously hit it until she buried her face in a pillow to muffle her outburst. I pounded into her mercilessly, as her nails clawed at my back. I gave one final thrust as I kissed her collar bone and we both came.

Too soon, the weight of my body was too much for Rosalie to handle and I pulled out of her, moving to the side and attempting to lay next her. But, she wouldn't let go. Like a little monkey, she took that as her signal to change positions and planted her body on top of mine wrapping her limbs around me. Neither one of us would be happy in the morning when the lack of sleep caught up to us, but at least for now things were as they should be.


	12. Chapter 12: Invasion of the Brats

**Hi you guys! I'm getting back into the swing of this. I'm in between work for my Torts and Con Law classes so it wasn't anything else to do, since I managed to pull an all-nighter. Anyway, I'm slightly drowsy so I'm going to stop rambling and type. Enjoy!**

**RPOV**

"Bella, sweetie we don't have time for this. We have to go pick up your family soon." I told her trying my hardest not to give in to her relentless kisses.

"Ro, let's just be clear about something, okay? You're the one straddling me, not that I'm going to stop you but honestly you can't put this on me. "She said against my neck, the feel of her warm breath making me shiver.

"Yeah but you're the one that's going to regret not taking advantage of it later. Four days, that's all I'm saying Bee. "I said stealing a kiss before leaving a pouting Bee lying on the couch staring at the ceiling.

"Wait a minute, why did I agree to this again? Four days?! What am I supposed to do for four days, Rosalie?" She yelled, seemingly hysterical running into the kitchen like that was the first time she heard anything about it.

"Take lots of cold showers, you agreed to be on your best behavior while they were here. As soon as they leave, you can have whatever you want just please be good" I said batting my eyelashes at her until she caved.

No matter how much I may have wanted to give in to Bee, I didn't need to be late picking up the Clearwaters. Collin, Brady, and Jared were all extremely active and if we let them get bored something was bound to go wrong. I still couldn't believe Bee finally agreed to invite them to Thanksgiving with us. We went through several arguments and a few broken glasses, before she gave in but I was happy. I had been talking to Bee's sisters and her mother all week and they were just as excited to see us. Sue rambled for hours about the menu, while her daughters talked about the joys and pitfalls of motherhood before fully endorsing the experience.

After cleaning out the sink and trading my tee-shirt for a long sleeved blouse, I met a sulking Bee at the door before pulling on my coat and pulling my hair out from under the collar, kissing her on the cheek and walking out the door. The whole ride to the airport, we didn't say anything to each other. I knew Bee wasn't really mad at me so I let her theatrics continue. It wasn't until Bee saw Sasha running towards her that she laughed. A mini version of Tanya, the small size of her body made her look like a walking marionette. Clutching her favorite doll, she giggled as Bee lifted her in the air before hugging her.

It was endearing to see her all wrapped up in her niece. Sasha was obsessed with Bee and her never-ending supply of apple slices. It was so easy to keep her happy. Plus, Bee herself was like a child in an adult's body sometimes. Whenever Bee would take me to visit her family, she and Sasha would spend hours watching Dora the Explorer and Yo Gabba Gabba, while the boys were at school. Taking the time out to focus on other things outside of her magical Aunt Bee, Sasha saw me and a beautiful smile lit up her face. I had to admit it was the most adorable thing I had ever seen. But, I didn't have time to focus on it as the rest of the family caught up to their overly anxious, lovable leader.

"Rosalie," Tanya, Kate and Irina shouted causing several people around us to stare in our direction.

"Don't hog her, I need time with my sweet girl so we can catch up before you three go and corrupt her," Miss Sue said pushing them out of the way.

The boys climbed all over Bee, asking questions at a mile a minute. But, the real star of the show as little baby Heidi, who despite all of Bee's hopes was a girl, with a very powerful set of lungs on her too. We were so caught up in reconnecting that her shrill cry distracted all of us and sent us to cars while under the ever watchful eye of weary, angry travelers. My car was big enough to hold all of us, so Bee had to drive her SVU to the airport the day before and leave it overnight. It was an inconvenience, but it was worth it.

After we finally got the luggage in and people rounded up, we all went back to our apartment. What had once seemed like a really large space with just two people and a dog turned into a mad house and I was thankful that Bee convinced Alice out of white furniture. There were spills, accidents, broken crayons, missing toys, and a few smelly diapers all within the first three hours. Brady and Collin nearly broke the remote while fighting over it, Sasha was sleepy and the baby was a nonstop `bag of water. With them around, you never ran out of things to do or clean up. Four hours in and I was in heaven. I was happy to see our home so full of life.

Soon after though, Bee sent all of us out to the grocery store, while she stayed home with the kids. I had an idea of what the menu would look like for Thanksgiving dinner, but I still had to make it through the next two days. With that in mind, we took our time scouring each and every aisle for things on the list, wasting time with the others to avoid going back so soon.

"Ro, what made you decide to do this? I mean, yeah, I'm glad you did because it sure saved me some trouble. But you do know you're cooking for an army right?" Tanya said from the front of the shopping cart, glancing down worriedly at the list of items we still hadn't picked up yet.

"Yeah, I know but I think it will be great to have everybody together, you'll see. You guys deserve a break. Don't worry about anything. I'll take care of the kids. It'll be great." I said jovially.

_If only I had known then, exactly how wrong I really was._

Two days later, it was Thanksgiving and I was so ready for it to be over I had started an internal countdown. There was gunk in every possible crevice of the apartment, I was pretty sure I would never get the smell of dirty diapers and spit up out of my laundry closet and I kept tripping over toys. I had an on-going vendetta against whoever created Lego blocks. It was six-thirty in the morning and I was up, drinking coffee. My hair was a mess, I looked like crap, and I knew right then and there that nobody would ever convince me that I needed a child again.

In fact, I was prepared to go through all necessary surgery required to prevent a child from ever happening to me. Unable to finish the putrid cup of over caffeinated water, I poured the rest of my cup's contents down the drain and went to shower. Bee was unfazed by it all, as was evident by her ability to sleep through Heidi's incessant cries just a few hours ago. Tanya had tried several times to take the boys and Sasha to the hotel with them, but Bee would not stand for it. So instead of a reprieve and time to reboot, I got to spend time making sleeping arrangements and blowing up air mattresses that would later fill almost all of the available walking space in my living room.

They tried really, really hard with their teeny tiny elf hands to do a lot of things themselves, including making snack. But the elf hands were defective and have no sense of depth or precision. So, naturally, it only makes sense that Goldfish crackers flew through the air instead of into the bowl. As well as cereal. As well as all liquid. ALL DAY LONG. FOR TWO DAYS STRAIGHT. I have literally never used a mop so much in the 6 years I have lived in this apartment. The other choice was to not to allow them to eat. But that seemed inhumane. I guess I could have taken over the exciting job of "pouring things into cups and bowls." But there was one little problem, I was so busy doing everything else.

Preparing vegetables, grocery shopping, and keeping the children occupied was all I had time for, although a large part of the time was spent with me worrying about them possibly injuring themselves. Thanksgiving morning couldn't come fast enough. I went to wake the children so they could get bathed and have a snack before their mom's showed up and was all too shocked when Sasha was already up playing with her dolls. Stopping next to her air bed, I lowered myself to her level. She took my head in her grubby little hands. Kids are always dirty. I don't know why. They just are. She started looking at my hair. I mean staring like there was candy in it. Just for the record, if a kid looks at you that long, it usually means you will need therapy when they are done with you. I guess I might as well call Dr. Taylor for an emergency session after this.

"You have a lot of gray hair," she said scientifically.

_Exaggerate much kid? A __few__. I have a few gray __**baby **__hairs. I'm genetically cursed kid, give me a break._

"They are so much prettier than the regular ones," the sweet, adorable elf said, "They are so sparkly like glitter."

_Oh, geez. This is how people get sucked in. Not me. Other people. But still, dang it!_

**BPOV**

Thanksgiving….the food was oh my God. I was slightly pissed at Rosalie for leaving me in bed alone. But, as soon as I heard the sounds of little feet running up and down the stairs I knew she already had her hands full. No use in being angry at her when it was my dumb ass that suggested the little boogers stay with us. Looking back on it, I was an idiot. I could have spent the day with them and still had my nights alone with Rosalie. But no, I had to volunteer us like a nanny service. One thing was for sure, no matter how much Colin begged or Sasha cried that shit was not happening ever again.

After a quick shower, I put on some jeans and a sweater trying to at least look sort of decent. After putting my hair up in a ponytail, I left our bedroom just in time to see my mother and sisters coming in the door followed by Alice, Esme, and their significant others. As much as I was looking forward to dinner, I knew it was going to be a long day.

Hours later, all seventeen of us were sitting around our tables savoring the taste of the feast that had been prepared and plotting our next plate of food in our minds. It was virtually impossible to make a bad choice with the amount of food we had to disperse between us. I sat next to Rosalie picking pieces from her plate and stealing bites of her turkey when she would turn her head to talk to Alice or one of my sisters. The whole thing was very laid back and familiar. Half way through our first round, the doorbell rang and Rosalie quickly rose to answer it. She returned followed by her parents, and almost imperceptibly, everybody stiffened and suddenly seemed to remember their table manners. Napkins flew to laps and all talking ceased. The fun was sucked right out of Thanksgiving the moment they set foot in the dining room.

Doing away with pleasantries altogether, a fact I knew my mother was none too pleased with, we all moved over to make room for the newcomers. Jasper, who had opted not to come home, had been right to call and warn me ahead of time or I may have gone off on them for their lack of courtesy.

"Rosalie, I'm not really hungry and we won't be staying long. I only came by so you know we hadn't forgotten you." Didyme said after she sat there glaring at us for the better part of five minutes.

"Yes, Mother. I appreciate your concern but I'm quite fine." Rosalie said quietly. Although she didn't protest, I could tell that she wanted them to stay. It killed me how she always employed this passive attitude where they were concerned. I wanted her to speak up, but I knew she never would. It's hard to express yourself to people you barely know.

"Allison, Esme how lovely to see you girls again. How are you?" Mrs. Hale said although they knew just like I did that she didn't mean any of it. I heard Esme sigh and Alice rolled her eyes. There was no point in answering. She would just cut you off as soon as you opened your mouth anyway.

"Didyme, I was under the impression that we came to see our daughter not have trivial talk with her guests," Marcus said staring at his wife she'd grown a second head.

"Marcus, there's nothing wrong with her being nice, at the very least she should be cordial outside of her home," Carlisle said out of nowhere, shocking the whole table and causing them to stare between the two of them.

"Carlisle Cullen, how is life, old friend," Marcus responded suddenly very chipper and agreeable.

"Things are going quite well, although when you mentioned you had a daughter I never assumed you meant Rosalie. You were right though she is very intelligent and beautiful. You did a wonderful job raising her," Carlisle answered. I really couldn't help but cough out a laugh. It was very true that Rosalie was beautiful and her was highly intelligent. But you couldn't say with a straight face, was that either of her parents raised her. Theresa and Mae raised her. Still, that didn't stop Marcus from beaming with pride.

"Yes, well, we are very proud of both of our children," Marcus said and it didn't escape me that Rosalie almost got whiplash turning towards him. She was probably just as shocked to hear either of her parents say they were proud of her….Are we living in the twilight zone? Am I on candid camera?

The rest of dinner went well and the Hales left after only a few more moments of unadulterated, pompous behavior. By the end of the day, I was full to the gills and unable to stop the yawns that escaped my mouth warning me of my impending food coma. I probably could have gone into hibernation with the amount of food my stomach had tucked away.

It was an okay day. We both had our families there and regardless to the unspoken tension in the room, it was a civil Thanksgiving. Although I would never admit it to Rosalie, I was kind of glad she suggested it. I was still a little less than pleased with our little house guest who always seemed to pop up at the wrong time, but I enjoyed spending time with them too. This Thanksgiving, I had a lot to be thankful for. But, I would be even more thankful when all the guests were gone and I could have my girlfriend all to myself again. Tomorrow…..thank goodness.


	13. Chapter 13: Right But SO Wrong

**I am officially done with classes for the week thank goodness. Weekend class is no joke. I know I won't be up before noon tomorrow at the earliest. I have started growing a re-attachment to this story. It was my very first full-length story, after all. I really enjoy typing chapters and getting to see inside my 20 year old mind again. Of course, I make small changes, but this story is so old now. You guys' reviews were great. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I laugh every time I read it. I hope to have this one done by tomorrow, but it is Sunday so I may post two or three Monday. Well, I hope you guys like this. If you don't, that's okay too. But, please do review.-Isis**

**RPOV**

"Okay, okay, okay, okay" Esme said rambling like she had lost her mind. I was half tempted to smack her but I was too busy processing what had just happened.

"Esme!" I shouted trying to regain her attention. Her focus was slipping fast and I needed all the help I could get. This was no time for hysterics. There were more important things to think about like my continued good health, or maybe my sanity. This couldn't be happening to me."Shutup." I said off-handedly. I didn't want to seem mean but I needed to think and I couldn't do that with her losing her head.

"Right. Alright, let's think about this thing."

"There is nothing to think about. This isn't going anywhere. I'm pregnant." And for the first time since I heard those words, I admitted it to myself. It wasn't a game. There was actually a baby inside of me taking up residence for the next few months of the forseeable future. There were no takesies backsies. This was forreal. Shit!

"Well, yes, but what I meant is how are you going to tell Bee?"

"Once again, shutup! I need to think." I said laying my head against the table. I had gone to the gynecologist after my morning appointment with the Garvins. I was expected in court in a few days for the appeal and I wanted to touch base with them. I had my afternoon clear so I went to the doctor for a checkup and hopped the metro to meet Esme for lunch and shopping. After the little tidbit of news I had just gotten, shopping and girl time were the furthest things from my mind. All I wanted was Bee and my bed. Maybe if I pulled the covers over my head, this would all go away.

It was one thing to want children, or even just one child, but it was another thing altogether when you realized it was actually going to happen. After the last few months, I wasn't sure we were ready. Okay, so I wanted a baby. But I'm not going to lie. Everything was about to change. I went in the appointment confident and came out with a shit ton of questions. I was so confused. I don't know how this could have happened and I didn't notice it. None of the symptoms were there, except being tired but what's new? I even had a period. Well, according to my doctor what _looked _like a period, but really wasn't one at all.

I knew if I told Bee she would freak out and I was plenty anxious for the two of us. A baby. A baby is a big deal, and excuse me for being selfish, but we hadn't planned this. I wasn't prepared. This was a big risk to be taking and I wasn't even married. What about my baby? What if the baby has problems? What about the complications? This was too much. I needed the voice of reason and fast.

"Esme, call Alice." I said fidgeting with the sleeve of my coat. At this point, anything was better than focusing on this.

"Murphy, Forster, and Daniels , Alisson Brandon's office how may I help you? The squeaky voice of Alice's secretary said after three rings.

"Hello Gianna, this is Esme, is Alice busy?" As if this was just a normal conversation. For once I was glad that it was her making the call and not me. I was lacking the patience to put up with most people today.

"Good afternoon. She should be in her office. Hold on and I'll put you through." Great. We're being put on hold. This is going to be over in a few seconds. Said no one ever.

"Thank you, Gianna, have a nice day." After about five minutes of Mozart, I was thoroughly pissed and tired of waiting. I was about two seconds away from snatching Esme's phone and hanging it up when Alice's voice came through the speaker.

"Esme?" Alice asked apprehensively, like someone had miraculously picked up Esme's phone to talk to her in the time it took for her to pick it up and take us off of hold.

"It's me Alice. Rosalie too. We have a problem." So that's how we're referring to my pregnancy now? The problem? I was thinking more like speed bump, but I guess problem works too.

"Problem? Are you okay? Is someone hurt? Do I need to take the rest of the day off?" Another rambler….great. This day just keeps getting better.

"Alice…Alice! Calm down! Nobody's hurt. We're fine. We need your ear. No need to leave work, unless you just want to."

"Nah, I have to stay. I promised Victoria I would try to get this credit card payed off this month. What's up?" Alice said and I could just picture her making silly facial expressions, supposedly mimicking her girlfriend.

"Not much, Rosalie's just freaking out over something really small.." Small? Who was she kidding? This is serious, huge even! There's nothing small about it. Esme's lack of sympathy at the moment was kind of irking me. Or maybe I was just irritable, I don't know but it was getting out of hand. If I was sure this wasn't a case of her resorting to gross understatement in an attempt to calm me down, I would probably curse her out right here in the middle of Thai-Pai.

"Oh for God sakes, I'm pregnant Alice." There. I said it. That wasn't so hard…at least not to tell Alice anyway.

"WHAT?!" she screamed, making me anxious all over again. I had kind of hoped she would be more reasonable about this. If this wasn't even her child and she was freaking out, just wait until I told Bee. Well, lets start planning bed rest right now shall we? I'm going to be a sobbing mess. If neither of my friends could support me, how could I expect Bee to? Of course, it was stupid of me to expect her to be ecstatic about it but still.

"Glad to know you approve. Thanks, I feel so much better." I responded sourly. I guess it is me.

"Oh, Rosie, I'm sorry. I'm just shocked is all. I mean, didn't you say you were waiting? You guys are just now getting back on track. Well, that doesn't matter now, because you are pregnant. So I guess the problem is how to tell Bee, then?" That's more like it. Alice, my friend with the binder full of questions.

"Bingo!" It seemed to be the most obvious thing in the world to me, but apparently nobody else could see the dilemma. I mean yeah, it was unexpected and we weren't planning it, but that happens to a lot of people. But, Bee being who she is, would freak out. We hadn't had time to weigh the risks and benefits and uncertainty is not something that Bee can handle very well. I wanted to be happy about it, but until I was sure she wasn't going to crucify me, I was remaining as detached as possible.

"You just have to come right out and tell her. I mean we all knew you would have a baby some day and we all knew it was going to be risky. You can't let that stop you from being happy. Every pregnancy has risks. You just have to do your research. Law school practically trained you for this. Plus, you know we'll be here if you need us, and even if you don't. People have babies every day and come out of it just fine. Take a few deep breaths and think about what it will be like when you have your baby here in your arms." Could it possibly be that easy? Maybe Alice was right. Maybe I just have to let it out, and hope for the best.

"You're right Alice, thanks." I was grateful for my friends. Even though they were seriously annoying and sometimes a bit too anxious, they genuinely cared about me. And right now, I was going to need all the help and love I could get…_we could get. Oh god, I'm already thinking in the plural form._

"I know, I usually am, now tell me what the doctor said." I spent the next fifteen minutes talking about the food I shouldn't eat and how my breasts were going to ache and my feet would swell. But, on the plus side, I hadn't had to deal with any morning sickness or severe bloating just yet, something I was eternally grateful for. I didn't need my body giving me away before I had a chance to tell people. Soon, Alice had to get back to work and after a few bites of Esme's cake we left the restaurant ready to get some last minute Christmas shopping done.

I had made it home safely, and after stuffing smaller bags into a larger one, I was able to make it to the apartment without tripping over thin air. So far, I was doing a pretty good job at keeping this baby safe. Once I opened the door, I saw Bee in all her glory, on the floor of my living room immersed in journals and paperwork.

It was so mesmerizing to see her totally involved in what she loved. She gave such reverence to her patients that it was inspiring, but at times I found myself getting jealous at the thought of how much she does for other people. It's not that I didn't appreciate her job, and love her compassionate nature, I do. It's just that sometimes, it's a hindrance to our relationship. Going to her, I run my fingers through her hair and kiss her temple, before leaving to change into more comfortable clothing. Walking into my room, I see the disarray has been cleared and our bedroom returned to its former order, so I know Bee had been here for quite some time.

Throwing on a t-shirt and a comfy pair of sweats, I put my hair up in a ponytail and set off in search of my briefcase. Finding it on the floor next to my vanity, I decided to join Bee in the living room and get some of my own work done. Taking out my legal pad and copies of my case file, I start to piece together cross examinations and possible arguments. After four hours, I looked over and see Bee in the same position as before, totally focused on the screen in front of her.

"Sweetheart, are you okay," I ask just to be sure. I don't know why I bothered she wasn't going to tell me anything when she was like this. I'd have to wait until she snapped out of her trance.

"Huh? Oh, yeah babe I'm good," she responded, her gaze never wavering from the screen. Yeah, right, because I actually believe that. Something was definitely wrong. She didn't even look at me this time.

"You sure?" I asked at this point just fishing for answers. I knew there was no use but I had to. She had barely talked to me in the last few days as it was and it was killing me. The only time I had her full attention was when we were having sex and even that was different now. She was always so detached.

"Uh huh." She replied not even dignifying my question with words. I'm reduced to simple phrases now, so I know it's time to leave her alone.

"Do you want something to eat?"

Nuh uh.

And that was the end of that conversation. It didn't take me long to get what I needed to say out of the way anymore, because I knew she wasn't listening anyway. In the beginning of our relationship, it used to piss me off. Now, I leave her alone and wait for her to re-emerge. Its better that way, for everyone involved. After I put my things away, I went to the kitchen and started working on my dinner. Even though Bee said she wasn't hungry, I knew she would be when she finally came up for air and she would probably take some for lunch so I made extra. While I was waiting on the chicken to finish baking I thought back over the day. I had a quiet dinner alone and prepared for bed in almost complete silence, with the exception of the Rocko's whines for attention.

Sliding into bed, I wrapped myself in my covers and lay there until I fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. Three hours later, I woke up when I heard the covers rustling next to me, and felt Bee slide into bed next to me. Pulling me closer to her, she wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my shoulder. I was aware that she knew I was awake when she started humming to me a tune that was a perfect mimicry of the song I played that morning, effectively succeeding at making my eyelids droop.

"Rosalie," Bee said sleepily.

"Yes, Bee?" Although I wasn't really sleep, I wasn't fully awake enough for a full length conversation with her, a fact I'm sure she was well aware of.

"I love you so much, never forget that," I couldn't help but wonder what caused her spur of the moment declaration. It was more like an apology than a heartfelt gesture and it made me worry.

"I love you too, honey. Go to sleep, you're tired." I said expelling all wayward thoughts from my mind. If she had something important to tell me, she would have done it by now. There was no need to worry without a valid reason. But I would worry, because whatever she had to tell me was a grain of sand compared to the secret I was holding in. For now, I would wait. She would talk when she was ready. I wanted to tell her about the baby, but now was not the time.

All I heard was a mumbled mkay and shortly after, it was followed by slow, breathing on my neck making me shiver. Trying to match my breathing to hers, it wasn't long until I fell asleep.


	14. Chapter 14: Changes

**I feel so special Isis let me upload her chapters for her… Man, our room is a mess. Evidence of the all-nighters are everywhere. Isis will be in classes and study groups for the next two days but she'll email me any new chapters she can finish while she's in class and I'll post them. Anyway, enjoy it and I'm sure she'll love your reviews.**

**RPOV**

After the Thanksgiving that Never Ended, Bee and I both agreed it was best we brave both sides of family separately. We decided it would be best for both of us, and our sanity, if we went to see them at home. Our apartment couldn't handle it again. Three days after everybody was gone, I was still pulling toys from betwixt the cushions of my couch and deprogramming Adventure Time recordings from the DVR system. But splitting our holidays would be on hold until next year, since Jasper went to Texas with his girlfriend Maria, my parents went to Fiji and the Clearwaters went to visit Bee's cousin Sam to witness his son's baptism.

Of course, I tried to talk Bee into going, but she insisted on staying after giving me some pieced together story about she just couldn't leave me alone at Christmas, as if Alice and Esme didn't count as people. When that didn't work she moved on to the price of travel, another lie that I quickly shot down. I was looking for anything to buy myself more time. I hadn't told her yet and pretty soon, I wouldn't be able to hide it. Eventually, I stopped fighting her on it and I let her stay without any protest. We made it through Christmas with the usual fanfare, and I was picking up old habits again. Pretending was like my favorite pastime.

January came and winter was definitely in full swing. Two weeks after New Year's, I walked around with a basket, picking up all the stray clothing off of our bedroom floor before heading to the washer to get some laundry done. The dryer was going, breakfast was made, and Bee was getting dressed for work, so I decided to take a bubble bath. But it was what I saw in my bathroom mirror that startled me. How is it that as tired as I am, I'm glowing like a Lite Brite? That's the product of a baby. The immediate effects of mind blowing sex…. only 9 weeks later. This baby was helping my skin and kicking my ass all at the same time.

Stepping into the water, I sank into the water and relaxed. As the scent of my bath oils tickled my nose, I thought about the times before when Bee worshipped my body until I was certain I would die from the sheer magnitude of it all. Just thinking about the way her hands caressed my body while she kissed, licked, and sucked all of my intimate places made me moan and my toes curl. Those hands were the giver of so much pleasure and almost ran neck and neck with her mouth…but not quite. Her mouth was in a class by itself. But still, I could recall those same hands, gentle, provoking, moving all over my body; touching me everywhere and doing things to me that mere hands weren't supposed to do. It came as no surprise then that when Bee walked in on the phone, I was panting like a rabid dog.

"Ro," Bee said, with the most passive expression. The attitude she's had the last few weeks made me long for the hours she would be at work just so I could get a small reprieve from her for a while. The only downside of the current situation was that she would be gone in a few minutes and I would be here at a loss of what to do. As much as I sometimes wanted her to leave, I felt much safer when she was here. Even though I can appreciate the time apart, I hate when she works on the weekends.

"Yeah" I replied in a weak voice before biting my lip. Oh I wanted her so bad it hurt, but it was no use in starting something neither of us could finish. Oh my god, I'm becoming an addict. I need a meeting or something because this was getting out of hand.

"Alice is on the phone. She wants to know if you're up for lunch today." Bee answered and my face scrunched up momentarily as I wondered how I hadn't heard the phone ring. Oh well, I guess I was just lost in thought.

"No, I'm not feeling so hot. Tell her I'm sorry and I'll see her Friday for dinner," I responded, looking into Bee's eyes silently daring her to say anything different. There was no way I could last through lunch without falling prey to Alice and Esme's constant questions. I didn't want to be alone, but I could certainly use the next few hours of peace and quiet.

After telling Alice that I would be fine and reassuring her that there was no reason for her to worry, she hung up the phone and sat it on the counter. It's not like she would know since she has no idea I'm even pregnant. Although, considering the fact that she lives with me, you would think she would notice something. Almost immediately after, she leaned down next me and brushed a kiss on my cheek, then several. I wanted her to devour my mouth, relocate the kiss and escalate it the level I desperately needed it to be, but she didn't. She wouldn't. _Tease!_

"Finish your bath. I'm going in to work for a while." Bee said before walking out of the bathroom like nothing had ever happened, leaving me glaring at the door. Normally, I would have followed behind her and got her to finish what she started. But, that was before and to be honest, I knew sex was pretty much out of the question. It had been for the past two weeks. It's not like she would give in now just because my hormones were in hyper drive and I wanted it. Oh no, that would be too much to ask. Not only that, but it would require me actually telling her about the reason behind said hormone increase.

After my bath, I dressed in easily removable clothing, before walking the short distance to the metro and going to the mall. If I was going to be alone, I might as well get some me time. I just prayed that I wouldn't run into Alice or Esme. I would be so busted. I really hadn't been feeling good, but I laughed it off for everybody's benefit. It was no use getting them all upset over nothing. It wasn't like I was dying so I wasn't worried. Plus, now that I was in the fresh air, I was feeling ten times better. I figured it was probably another side effect to look forward to, but I wasn't so pleased with the results. Ten stores, three new ensembles and two pairs of flats later, it was time for me to go eat.

I spent three hours browsing the shelves of Barnes and Noble and sipping a bottle of water while chewing on a Granny Smith Apple Purse. Considering all the food I've inhaled over the last few weeks, the last thing I should want to eat is anything remotely close to a pastry, but I finished it off in a matter of minutes. After picking up the Life of Pi and a new copy of Gulliver's Travels I decided to go home before it got too dark to see in front of me. If it was one thing I knew about riding the metro, it was that after dark that route of transportation is no longer a valid option for me.

**BPOV**

As I sat in traffic, I ran over my upcoming day in my head, and instantly felt myself falling apart. Being a doctor is all I've ever wanted and it seems awkward to consider any other profession for myself when this has been my dream for so long. But, it's my dream that's tearing me away from the woman I love. Regardless to what we start off talking about, we always end up acting like were avoiding each other. My time spent away from her wasn't helping either. It's not that Rosalie's job isn't demanding, but her time on several occasions is much more flexible than mine. She can work from home if she has to work later than normal or put in overtime, but I'm confined to the hospital. In essence, I'm confined everywhere, but with her.

Don't get me wrong, nothing in my life is more important than her, but right now I can't see myself taking any more of a break than I already have when I'm trying so hard to fix somebody else's life. Until this was all worked out, we couldn't move forward together. I know it's selfish of me to expect her to wait around for me, without explanation, but I refuse to let her go. This entire mess is my fault because I did the one thing doctor's are never supposed to do. I got involved with a patient. Now, I can't let go.

When I checked in, I made my rounds and released a sigh of relief when I was able to take a lunch break. Walking as fast as I could to the hospice center next door, I was finally able to make a stop at the one room I've been waiting to get to all day. When I opened the door, the most beautiful grey eyes I have ever seen looked up at me, the book in her lap momentarily forgotten.

Hi, Ericka, how are you today?

The seven year old looked at me, but didn't respond to my question other than smiling. It had been so long since she had laughed or spoke that I had become used to our one-sided conversations. In between rattling coughs and small smiles, Ericka continuously thumbed through the pages of her book as if she was reading it all over again, although I know she cannot understand the words in the picture book any more.

After calling a nurse in to help me get her needs taken care of, I say bye to Ericka and reminded her that I'll be back at the end of my shift. An older man was sitting at the nurse's station when I came out of the room. Without saying anything, we exchanged glances that said it all. I went through my entire shift and by the time it was through, I wanted to hurt quite a few people. I'm normally not a violent person but it pissed me off to see these selfish people complaining about their child's petty problems when this innocent, sweet little girl was dying before she even had a chance to really live. I'm sure they would live through a cold, it had been done before.

Stopping in to see Ericka, I sat next to her and read her Goodnight Moon while wiping her forehead. Soon she fell asleep, breathing rattled and uneven. I could hear the cause of her problem but there was nothing I could do to stop it. Placing her blanket over her and brushing the hair of her bubble gum pink wig out of her face, I wished her a goodnight. Soon, I would be back at home and then I would be back to my charade of pretending. In reality, I was breaking inside.

When I made it back to my apartment, I showered and crawled into bed. I didn't think my stomach could handle any sustenance and I wasn't willing to chance it. Slowly and painfully, I fell asleep praying to anybody that would listen to spare this child's life.

Hours later, after I dropped Rosalie at work, I received the call I knew was only days away. Ericka was gone and I wasn't even there to comfort her. All I could see was red, the rage was so strong I couldn't contain it anymore. I broke so many things that eventually even the neighbor's dog Jake stopped yelping and was full on barking. Neighbors were beating on the door and I just kept going. Eventually, exhausted, I sat on my couch amongst the glass and destruction and drank until I passed out.


	15. Chapter 15: Floored

**RPOV**

As I sat in my office, I ran my fingers across the grain of my wood desk to distract myself from the incessant ringing in my ears. My head was hurting so bad, I had to forego my contacts for the dorky frames of my post-pubescent youth. My stomach was churning, and just when I thought it could get no worse, the intercom transmitted the smooth voice of my secretary into my office increasing the pain ten-fold almost instantaneously.

"Miss Hale, I know you asked not to be disturbed, but there's a Miss Tanner is on the phone. She says it's urgent." Jason said in almost a whisper, but sounded like he was shouting in my ear.

"Bree Tanner?" I asked almost shocked that my young neighbor would bother to call and not just wait to talk to me later that evening after I was home. I assumed she would be at work herself.

"No, Miss, her mother." Oh, my landlord. Now, things were starting to add up. Although, I was pretty sure I had already sent her the rent for the next three months. I know for certain it hadn't bounced.

"Put her through please." I said ready to get her off of my line so I could go back to silence.

"Hello," I said in an almost snarky tone, immediately feeling bad for taking out my ill feelings on the kind older woman.

"Rosalie, thank goodness! Listen, are you having house guests?" She replied wearily.

"I am. My girlfriend has been staying with me. I haven't spoken with her since early this morning though. She was supposed to work around ten. Is that a problem?"

"Oh no dear, she can stay as long as she wishes. But the thing is your neighbors heard some rather suspicious noise coming from your apartment this morning. I've just gotten off the phone with Mrs. Reynolds who said the noise lasted for close to an hour. It was so loud a dog was barking and could barely be heard over it."

"That is strange. My friend, Alice is coming at lunch to take me home. If anything is amiss I will let you know. I'm sure Isabella just left the TV on to loud and a dog overreacted a bit. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

"No problem, Miss Hale. I appreciate your cooperation on this. I really didn't want to cut my visit with my sister short. Please let me know as soon as you find out something. Have a nice day."

"Anytime, Ms. Tanner. I'll talk to you soon. Bye, bye." I didn't know what was really going on, but I didn't want to get worked up over nothing. Mrs. Reynolds was old and she was known for fabricating the truth. So I decided to call Bee first before I made any rash decisions. I called several times and got no answer, so naturally, I found myself getting more and more on edge with each passing second.

I quickly called the hospital to see what was happening. Gracelle, Bee's boss, was a friend of the family that I ran into on several occasions over the years given her career and her status within Washington as one of the most dynamic doctors today. My mother proudly boasts about us at her luncheon dates with Garcelle's mother Patricia all the time.

"Hello, George Washington University Hospital, Dr. Garcelle Preston Director of Pediatrics speaking, how may I help you?" a very frustrated voice answered. I don't know what her problem was but I was not in the mood for her bitchiness today.

"Gracie, this is Rosalie Hale, Didyme's daughter. Have you seen my girlfriend today?"

"Oh hi Rosalie! No, but when I do, we will be discussing her job here that's for sure."

"WHAT!-Gracelle tell me what happened?!"

As Gracie regaled the last two months to me, I found myself pacing my office. Apparently, what I thought was a small issue was relatively large and perpetually on-going. Gracie said that for the last two months Bee had been sneaking away at lunch, returning late, and performing sub-par care at work. Bee never, and I do mean never, allows her life to interfere with her work, that much I knew. So whatever was going on had to have happened at the hospital and leaked over into our life. Almost instantaneously, although I had no idea why, thought that Bee had to be cheating. She promised me she wouldn't do it again. _But she's promised you before._

Barely able to maintain my calm demeanor, I thanked Gracelle for her information and asked Jason to clear my schedule for the rest of the day. I sat at my desk and waited for Alice to show up. I was overcome with emotion. Raw, unfiltered tears streamed down my face at the thought of the woman I loved slipping away from me again. It was all I could do when I reached Alice's car, not to scream out in agony. Taking a minute to compose myself, I rested my head against the hood of the car and forced my tears to stop. Ever inquisitive, Alice begged to know what was wrong but I brushed it off on the headache that was definitely getting worse. Twenty minutes later, I steeled myself for what I might see as I walked to our apartment.

Stepping into the living room, I heard the sound of glass crunching beneath my heels and I immediately went on guard. It looked like somebody ransacked the place. I'd asked Alice to stand outside in case someone came running out. Pulling out my cell, in case I needed to call the cops, I went searching for Bee. The search didn't take very long and I found her on her couch amongst the glass and debris that littered seemingly every surface of our once beautiful living room. Doing a once over for any injuries, I sigh in relief when I realize that she is fine.

Careful of the glass, I moved her long hair out of the way as I leaned in to kiss the spot on her neck that was sure to wake her up. Placing a light kiss on the spot, I leaned back and watched as Bee's eyes fluttered opened only to be followed by choking sobs and uncontrolled tears. Unsure what to do other than hold her; I tried to get her to stand. On her feet, she staggered and when I spotted the empty bottle I knew why. I led her to the bathroom and after stripping her clothes off and removing her shoes, I bathed her. Not wanting to leave her alone in her zombie like state, I got her out of the tub and sitting on her bed in a towel before I went to the kitchen to grab water bottles and aspirin and send Alice away. When I got back to the room, I sat next to her on the bed and opened her hand to place the medicine inside.

"Please take this Bee; I don't want you to be sick. Please." Looking almost wounded, she flinched and shook her head no.

"Please," I begged, "I promise it's just for the headache. Just this once, please." Even though I could tell she didn't want to, I was relieved when she took the pills. I knew how adverse she was to medications she didn't need, but if it was ever a time this was it. Now was not the time to be stubborn. I was too pissed and she was far too drunk. Plus, the way my stomach was feeling, I could hardly deal with her puking right then. I'm sure it would have started a chain reaction.

After finding her something to put on, I dressed her and brushed her hair out to make sure there was no glass in it. Once I was sure it was okay, I pulled back the covers and urged her to sleep, all the while growing more and more conscious of her slow, deliberate movements. It took another fifteen minutes for her to finally close her eyes and go to sleep. Shortly thereafter, once I was convinced that she would sleep a while, I changed out of my clothes into a pair of gym clothes and I set about cleaning the apartment of all evidence to what seemed to be a dramatic episode.

As soon as that was cleared away, I called everyone to let them know that she was okay and seemed to have come down with a stomach bug and it startled the neighbor's dog causing Rocko to respond, which would explain the noise. I knew I was lying, but she was okay and didn't seem in any real danger as of yet. When I got a hold of her though….I may be taking care of her but I damn sure wasn't letting this go.

A little over five hours had passed and it was now dark out. When I went into the room, I saw all of her hair fanned out around her on the pillow as she slept, the sounds of small snores escaping her body. Sure that she was okay, I pulled the covers up around her and left the room again. Deciding to have a light dinner, I made a sandwich and frozen grapes, before turning off the lights and going to shower before I went to bed.

**BPOV**

Waking up, I realized that I was in my bed and changed. I don't remember much of any of that happening and I am pretty sure I wasn't able to do it myself. Laying there for just a few more moments as I started to remember the earlier events of the day, I ran my hand over my face. Rosalie. Turning over, I noticed that she wasn't next to me in bed. Walking over to my dresser, I pulled out a pair of socks while silently hoping that I would remain upright. I walked into the living room and saw that she had cleaned away the mess and left sticky notes of things to replace all over. But, she wasn't there either. Fucking Rosalie. I went down the hall to the guest room and saw Rosalie curled up in the covers and Rocko sleeping on the floor at the foot of the bed. She was tossing and turning in her sleep and I knew she hadn't been sleeping well. Still that didn't stop me at all; stalking over to the bed I resolved to end this now.

Rosalie, wake up, I said shaking her.

"Jesus Christ, Bee, what's wrong with you? I'm sleeping here, God I do have court in the morning." She shouted sitting up in bed.

"Oh nothing, just hanging out with my girlfriend…What do you think I'm doing? I was looking for you!"

"Why? Wow! I finally, I get some attention around here. If only I had known that alcohol was the solution, I would have tried it weeks ago!" she shouted and rolled over screaming into the pillow under her.

"You're so funny! How about a "hey, honey how was your day? "What about "I noticed the mess, do you wanna talk about it? I haven't heard that one in a while."

"I'm glad I amuse you, you self-centered asshole. What about _you_? What about me? You don't talk to me for weeks, you work all the time and I'm not supposed to be worried? I wish I could talk to you. But, why should I care? You don't care about me. You haven't said more than twenty words to me since New Year's! Mess? What mess are you talking about? That wasn't a mess, you destroyed our apartment!" For somebody complaining about hearing stuff from the neighbors, she surely didn't seem to care about being loud and obnoxious.

"I'm self-centered, but all I just heard was me, me, and me. That's cute though; keep blaming me for all the problems." I couldn't believe how selfish she was being. I was practically dead this morning and she didn't even care.

"I deserve to be selfish. You're not the one who had to clean up after her girlfriend because she threw a temper tantrum, nobody called you at work to tell you about a tornado in your apartment and last time I checked your girlfriend is doing a damn good job of holding your relationship together because you want to do God knows what while she's stuck at home worrying about you and our baby. That's right, I said it. Now you know. But yeah, you're right I'm selfish. Sue me." Rosalie replied glaring at me like I just shot her puppy or something.

"All you care about is your-wait what?! A baby? Have you lost your mind? Now is not the time for babies. You can barely handle yourself. Please tell me you're joking!" I yelled. At this point, I'm in full on hysterics. A baby? What the fuck?! How could this happen. I mean, I know how it happened. But, why now? Everything is just so fucked up!

"I don't think this is anything to joke about. I'm very sane; in fact I'm the only one in this room that makes any sense. And I'm sorry the timing sucks for you, but it's too late now. This baby is coming in a few months whether you want it to or not. I've been managing taking care of us quite well without you, thank you very much." She said softly, and I was floored. What am I supposed to do now? Work sucks, I have a kid on the way, and Rosalie is pissed. Plus, I'm not ready for a child. I can barely handle my relationship.

"How long have you known about this?" A baby. My baby. My girlfriend is pregnant and it never crossed her mind to alert me to the change.

"Four weeks, I found out right before Christmas." I couldn't seem to grasp the situation. Shit, so that would mean she's at least 9 to 10 weeks pregnant. The whole first trimester was practically over.

"And you're just deciding to tell me about it? What the hell is that about?" I'm not going to lie. I was really uspet, but more than that, I was angry at Rosalie for lying to me. She had never done that before.

"When should I have told you? Through a text? In between sleep and work? You're barely here. And when you are you're off in your own little world. Excuse me for following your hint to leave you alone. Believe me, I'm regretting telling you now."

"So you would just not tell me until it was obvious and have me think it was my fault?"

"If you were going to behave like exactly how you are right now, no. I wouldn't have bothered at all. Even when it was obvious at this point, I still would have denied it and did it all by myself. Because, I'm the one who got myself pregnant like an idiot. I should have been more careful. I knew you would have a fit."

"So what do you want me to do? I can't have a kid right now, Rosalie. Do you even realize how serious this is? Do you know what could happen to you? What about the baby? Have you thought of that?"

"_You_ aren't _I_ am. And taking some responsibility would be nice, I mean as fun as it was getting pregnant, it is not fun going through pregnancy. We aren't teenagers, this is the real world. Nobody is going to cut us any slack. Oh you mean like the fact that I could possibly kill my own child, yeah I'm aware. Don't you think I've thought about it? I'm always thinking about it! " Rosalie was red in the face, and clenching her fists but I didn't give a shit. She could get as angry as she wanted. She had no right to be upset when she was springing this shit on me.

"I can't take this right now. I have to go. Don't wait up." I told her going to our room to grab my shoes and coat.

"Don't worry; I won't, because you aren't going anywhere. You will sleep here tonight. This baby needs both it's parents and I can't trust you to be safe when you're hung-over. If you leave tomorrow, then don't even worry about coming back." She yelled while standing in our bedroom door. Moving past her, I took the stairs two at a time.

"I'll catch a cab or something, don't worry about me." After the bomb she just dropped what the fuck did it matter if I was hung over or not? I couldn't stay there with her. I had to get out. I couldn't stay there and not go off. How could she spring something like this on me now? Why did everything have to go wrong in my life right now? We can't have a baby! We just can't. Walking down the street in my old sweats, a tank top, my coat, socks and flip flops I made a quick u-turn at the nearest decent hotel and checked in. I need time.


	16. Chapter 16: Spanish Inquisition

**Hey you guys…I'm back! Thank goodness I only have two weeks of classes left. I'm so excited to go to Egypt to visit my mother's family! It seems like forever since I've seen all of my cousins in person and not just on a computer screen. On the other hand, I will really miss being here at school. It's bittersweet really. Your reviews kept me going through my study groups and I was constantly checked my phone for notifications. It was the best part of all of it really. I may have to post more of my stories when this one is done just to see what you guys say. Some of you guys are so funny; I have to restrain myself from being loud in the library! Anyway, since everybody is pretty much on the same page, here's** _**what happens next!**_

**RPOV**

"Hey, Rosalie. Come on in!" Victoria said opening the door to her house wider to let me in. It was Friday and dinner was already in full swing. I left the office late and I had to hail a cab. It had been two weeks since I last saw Bee. If it hadn't been for the clothes missing from our closet when I came home, I never would have known she came back. I tried to call her and every time she would find some reason to get off of the phone. Honestly, I was just fed up with her childish behavior. Our baby was quickly growing and Bee missed my ten week appointment. So, she missed hearing the baby's heartbeat. It was emotional and I was a blubbering mess by the time I left. The doctors of course, encouraged me to be careful and after getting the green light I hopped the metro home and spent the night watching movies on demand.

Everybody was there. Alice, Esme, Carlisle and Victoria were all sitting around eating dessert and playing Phase 10. Alice is obsessed with that game. No matter how many times she lost, she claimed we were all just lucky. To keep her happy, we keep the games going as often as possible. Taking my usual seat on the left side of Esme, plucking a banana from the fruit bowl in front of me, I basked in the company of my friends who were as close to family as you could get. I had decided to tell everybody after my debacle with Bee. I was going with the elusive Band-Aid theory. If I got it all done at once it would hurt less. Jasper, the person that he is, was happy and made me promise to name it after him. Dense, that one but lovable none the less. Of course, Victoria was excited about it and betting against Carlisle that the baby would be a ginger. I didn't want to crush her dreams, so I let her have it. My parents weren't too thrilled but resigned to the fact that the baby wasn't going anywhere. The only people left to tell were the Clearwaters and Bee's extended family.

"Ro, is that all you're eating?" Alice said looking at me over her cards with an incredulous glance.

"Yeah, I know you don't believe that. I'm just getting started. I have a salad calling my name and a nice chunk of that delicious chocolate cake that's staring at me." I replied unconsciously rubbing my stomach without even thinking about it.

"Good. You need to feed my little blonde alien godchild," she told me focusing on the game again. It was already guaranteed to be another loss for her but I wasn't going to stop her fun. She had taken to calling my child an alien and I wanted to be angry about it but it was so funny how hype she was about this new baby. Plus, it really did look like an alien. But it was my little alien baby.

"Hey Ro, where's Bee? She hasn't been around lately." Alice asked peering over her wine glass at me.

"Working, she's been pulling overtime the past few weeks," I lied, praying she dropped the subject and moved on.

"Well, when she makes it home, tell her we miss her at dinner," she said with a look of disbelief written all over her face before she smiled at me. Victoria watched the interaction, but said nothing for which I was grateful.

"I will," I didn't want to lie, but I didn't want them to kill Bee either. She might be a full-fledged asshole but that didn't change the facts. I still love her and my child still needs both its parents. Until I talked to her, I thought it best to leave everybody else out of our problems. I appreciate all that my friends do for me, but the last thing I need is for someone else to over react and wind up starting trouble. Besides, right now I had my own plan of action. I wasn't going to wait around forever; I was already working with a time frame.

As unbelievable as it is, I'm already falling in love with the little life inside of me. The new roundness of my stomach was killing my wardrobe choices, but it's a welcomed change. The more things were changing, the closer I was growing to my child. After dinner, I was feeling slightly uneasy. The unwelcome feeling of heartburn was prominent and I got the message loud and clear. There was officially no more chocolate anything in my immediate future. The cake was good going down, but the acid that came up was unpleasant to say the least.

As soon as I started making faces, everybody freaked out and was ready to rush me to the hospital. After popping a Tums and explaining what was happening, everybody calmed down enough to think rationally. I knew this could happen, but the positive thing was that the doctors said it happens a lot during pregnancy. It's just another one of those lovely symptoms that have taken on a life of their own. Two hours later, my eyes were drooping and Esme decided to call it a night. She and Carlisle dropped me at home, and after seeing me safely inside they left.

Rocko was happy to see me when I walked in. Making a mental note to pay our dog walker, I set off towards the kitchen. After refilling his bowls, I went to take a quick shower. Thirty minutes later, underneath the warmth of my covers I turned over on my side and went to sleep.

**BPOV**

_WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!_

Looking at the clock on the bedside table, I groaned rising from the bed to go answer the door. I looked like shit and I really didn't care because nobody in their right mind would be banging on my door this early on a Saturday, the only day I have to sleep in anymore. Slinging the door open, I silently cursed as I saw my guest.

_Victoria. I should have known. Nothing gets pass her._

"How'd you find me?" I said not even bothering to say hello to my unwelcomed visitor.

"Really? You don't know?" she inquired her head cocked to side like I was speaking a foreign language she'd never heard before.

"That's illegal." I knew she had to have run a credit report to have run across the charge, but to track me down was taking it to a new low, even for V. The F.B.I had done strange, strange things to her.

"Sweetie, I'm the government. Nothing is illegal. You going to let me in or do I need a court order? " she said pushing past me not bothering to wait for an answer. She was already impatient so I decided not to push my luck. I could fight, but I'm pretty sure she could beat my ass if she really wanted to.

"You're an asshole" I said matter-of-factly.

"Well, I'm living at home so; I'd say you have the corner on that market. What the fuck did you do to my sister, dumbass?" Victoria asked slowly circling me as if she was trying to size me up.

"Your _sister_ is selfish and she didn't tell me about the baby until a month after she found out. Who does that?" I answered spitefully. Why was nobody seeing my side of the story? Everybody was Team Rosalie. It would be nice if somebody actually listened to me for once.

"I'm calling your bullshit! Tell me what really happened before I break your face," she replied. Almost automatically, I told her all about Ericka, Rosalie, and the blow out while she shot me glares and commentated. I could tell she was still pissed but I appreciated her listening to my side of the story. I knew Esme or Alice probably would have castrated me and then asked questions.

"First off, Bee, I just want to say GET OVER YOURSELF! You aren't a child and regardless to how you would have planned it and what's going on in your life, you have a responsibility to that child. More than that, you have a relationship with Rosalie. I keep my opinion to myself most of time to keep the peace but I'm tired of your shit. Rosalie is way too good for you. How can you expect her to trust you when you keep running out? Are you going to leave every time she calls you out? Because if you are, just stay away now. I'm not letting you submit my niece or nephew to that."

"Listen V, I don't need you to tell me what to do." I responded getting really frustrated with her self-righteous attitude. There was no need for her to go and get all "holier than thou" like she didn't have problems in her relationship.

"Oh, really now? So, why are you still here? Because you're a coward, that's why. She didn't get herself pregnant and if you love her like you say you do, you wouldn't make her go through this alone. She went to the doctor alone already. Can you imagine what that's like? To hear your child's heart beat for the first time and the only person you want there is nowhere to be found? I'm not saying she was totally without fault, but you are far worse. And she had no idea there was an Ericka, because as you said yourself, you never told her. You fucked up, and I hope she never forgives you. But, I know she will because unlike you when she told you she loved you, it wasn't a conditional statement." V said before turning away and walking out of the door.

Well that shit was awkward. Victoria is trying to tell me how to live my life. I wanted to be pissed at her for inserting herself in my business but I couldn't. I understood that she wanted to look out for Rosalie's best interests. I didn't agree with her actions but I couldn't fault her for trying. I did feel bad for leaving Rosalie again but I was totally justified in doing so. I know she's pregnant but that doesn't excuse her keeping it a secret from me either. Regardless to how she thought I would have reacted, it was inconsiderate of her not to share that information with me. I was being affected by this just like she was.

Still, I knew I would have to go home. As mad as I was, it didn't change anything. My girlfriend is having a baby, my baby. Another living being, a part of both me and Rosalie. And as much as it pained me to admit it, I couldn't imagine not being a part of its life. As unexpected and downright wrong as it was for us right now, I had to go back. I wouldn't do to my child what Charlie did to us. Hell yeah, I'm scared as fuck and I really don't know what's going to happen, but I had to do better for my child if nothing else. All my sisters have children and none of them get any help from the fathers. I always thought they were punks for not doing right by their kids.

Now, I'm no better than them. In fact, I'm worse. My sisters had babies with men who would promise them the world in one night and fly off the next morning, never to be heard from again. All of them complained about child support and needing a break. Things weren't the same for Rosalie and I. Regardless to what she might think; I do love her more than anything. This wasn't just some fly by night kind of thing. I really do want to be with her forever. And okay, so maybe I planned the baby for later down the line but it's not like we can't support a family. I shouldn't have blown up at her for something that was partly my fault. I was still mad, but I had to go home.


	17. Chapter 17: I'm Not Believing This

**Haha I broke my vaccum cleaner….okay so maybe I didn't break it. But, until my roommate comes home to unclog it, housework has ceased. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but I kind of had a schedule worked out. Nevertheless, I have more time to write now…This chapter is...well see for yourselves. –Isis **

RPOV

Another Saturday chopped full of indecisiveness, great! I had been up since shortly after sunrise, fully rested and ready to start my day. I went for a walk and after cleaning myself up, it was time to get dressed. I had been in the closet for the better part of an hour and as of yet I had no luck. I had plenty of clothes but everything I had tried on was too tight or made me feel uncomfortable. Eventually, I gave up decided to go eat something. I still had a few hours before Esme and Alice came to pick me up. I could use the break.

Making myself a bowl of corn flakes and bananas I curled up on the couch with Rocko and watched a few episodes of Wife Swap. Pretty soon, I was doing more commentating and laughing than eating and I went to pour my soggy cereal down the drain. I would just have to get something while we were out. I had only gained three pounds so far so I was doing well, but the need to keep my blood sugar regulated had me eating fruit salad like crazy. Pineapples were quickly becoming a staple in my diet which was weird because there are few things I hate more than pineapples. I was glad we were going grocery shopping because I seriously needed more of those.

Going back to my closet, I settled on my favorite jeans and a shirt. I wasn't sure which shirt yet, but I knew it wasn't getting any better than that. If Alice had anything to say about it, then oh well. I wasn't modeling for Chanel. I was going to the store. Plugging in my flat iron, I waited for it to warm and turned on the fan to keep air circulating in the room. The last thing I needed was to pass out. After a few minutes of waiting, I tamed as much of my frizz as could before using gloss on the remainders and throwing it up in a ponytail.

I had just started getting dressed, when I heard a knock on the door. Closing the clasp on my jeans, I prepared to reprimand Alice for not giving me enough time to get ready. I stood on my tiptoes looking through the peephole of my front door shrinking back when I saw Bee on the other side. All of a sudden, I was acting like I lost my mind or something. I couldn't think of anything to say. It was like somebody else took over my body. All I wanted to do was rush out and hug her like a lovesick idiot.

_No Rosalie, have some respect for yourself!_

Wait a minute. No. I don't want her anywhere near me. Yes I do. No I don't. Okay I'm confusing myself. Resting my back against the door, I took a minute to compose myself and think rationally. I needed to talk to her. I wanted to talk to her. But, I would not let her get away with this. I knew she would try. She'd try to joke with me, get me all hot and bothered, anything just so that she could have her way. Not this time. No ma'am. I was in charge and she was going to listen. Another knock on the door, and my stomach dropped, but I held it together.

_Don't let her see you crack. You crack and she wins._

**BPOV**

I showered then packed my things away in my duffle bag before checking out of the hotel. On the ride over to our apartment, I tried to think of what to say, but nothing came to me. Knocking on the door, I waited for Ro to answer the door. Ten minutes later, I knocked again seconds before the door opened with a rather angry looking Rosalie on the other side.

"What do you want Bee?" she asked, sneering at me like I was bug on her window shield.

"To talk to you, can I come in?" I responded trying my best not to get angry. She just stood there and stared at me, with her hands on her hips before releasing a deep sigh and stepping aside to let me enter.

"I know I'm going to regret this, but you might as well come in. It'll make it easier to kick you out later." Rosalie said rolling her eyes before heading up the stairs with me trailing behind her. As soon as we made it to our bedroom, she went into the closet mere seconds before I heard the sound of her hangers scraping against the metal bar that held them.

"You know, talking would be more effective if I could see your face." I shouted towards our closet.

"Well come in then, you never had a problem with it before. Or, are you afraid I'll throw something at your face?" she replied in what sounded like a challenging voice but I wasn't going to feed into it.

"Not really, no. How've you been?" I lied, walking into the closet. I actually was quite sure she would have thrown anything she could get her hands on, but I also knew she couldn't aim worth a damn. I was safe.

"Don't be so sure about that. I just might. Really? That's the best you can do? I'm fine Isabella. Not much to tell. If that's all you wanted to say, you can leave." she said. I didn't really know what her problem was but her attitude was really starting to piss me off.

"Alright, Rosalie look, I'm sorry for blowing up at you over the baby. It's not your fault. I'm sorry I keep leaving you and I'm sorry I haven't been here for you. And…well, can I come home?" I asked sincerely.

"It's not about that Bee. I don't care that you were angry. I was too. I didn't really want you to leave, but I'm used to you running away. I know you're sorry. I don't need you to tell me you're sorry any more. You're always sorry. I could handle you screaming and shouting, because at least then you were talking to me. I need you here to help me raise this baby. But I'd rather you not be around at all if you're not going to treat me right. I don't want my child to grow up around that and I'm just about at my breaking point where you're concerned. I won't keep forgiving you for acting like a child. I already have one, I don't need another to raise on top of that," she said looking through boxes obviously still looking for a pair of shoes despite the mountain of shoes surrounding her. I don't get why she didn't just wear any of those, but I wisely kept my mouth shut.

"Are you saying you don't want to have more babies with me?" I retorted smirking at her choice of words.

"Don't try to joke with me right now, asshole. This is serious. See this is what I'm talking about." She answered sternly, with her hands on her hips glaring a hole right through me. I don't know if she realized it but she was perfecting the "mom" look already. It was kind of scary.

"I want you to tell me what's been going on. I promise not to yell or scream, I just want the truth. I don't care what it is. Just tell me. I can't handle much more of this not knowing." She said softly and I saw the light. I was making head way. I would be back at home in a matter of minutes.

"You might want to sit down first," I warned her. She was slightly cautious but she listened anyway. Sitting across from Ro's bench seat on the floor, I retold the story once again. Starting at the beginning, I recalled first meeting the little girl that stole my heart all the way up until the last time I saw her. I watched as Ro went from angry to sad and by the time I reached the end of my tale she was a crying mess.

"Oh my God, Bee that's horrible. Why didn't you just tell me? I wouldn't have made you go through that alone." She sputtered out through hiccupping cries making me feel like shit for putting her under all that emotional distress. If it weren't already obvious, I knew Rosalie had forgiven me. I was coming home!

"It was my problem. There was nothing to tell." I said while wrapping my arms around her in an attempt to comfort her. It was a lost cause because as soon as I got my arms around her she took them off and turned away from me. After a few heavy, deep breaths and wiping away some tears, she faced me with a very serious expression on her flushed face.

"Bee, I love you. There is no getting around that, but you have got to stop pushing me away. There are no individual problems. Anything that happens in our relationship, personal or otherwise, is our problem. We get through it together. That's the only way this will work." She told me in a voice that spoke volumes. There would be no compromising. Either we both agreed or we needed to clip ties. I'm not saying what she did was right, but Rosalie had a point. If we hadn't been keeping secrets things may not have blown up in our faces the way they did. I took out my anger on her and even though she wasn't without fault, arguing only made it worse. My decision was already made. I want my family back. All I had to do was agree and I was home free.

"You're right, sorry. So where do we go from here? What do you want me to do?"

" I don't know but you can't come back here yet. I don't want to argue. I can't handle the stress and I refuse to put up with it. This isn't over. I just need space. Time to think and you need to decide what you really want. That's the way it has to be. I don't want you to miss anything else. You've already missed way too much as it is. I won't keep you from experiencing that. You will be there at every appointment and every time I call, you will answer even if it's five in the morning. That's non-negotiable, but you can't stay here."

"Okay, so then what do I do?"

"Book a room at a hotel, stay with a friend, I don't know. Do whatever you have to do. I'll be in touch tonight after I get back to tell you about my appointment schedule. Oh yeah, they want to see you at Friday dinners so you should probably come to those." Rosalie said before turning her back to me and changing out of her lounge clothes.

I'm not going to lie, I was shocked as shit that she was seriously putting me out. But there wasn't a whole lot I could do about it. So I just stood there like a fish out of water with my mouth hanging out. When she turned back around, I could see the little changes made apparent by the way her body was being hugged by the shirt she was wearing, but she looked beautiful. Picking up her brush from the counter she started brushing her ponytail before focusing on me again.

"I'll keep Rocko for you. This could go on for a while. I don't want you to have to worry about him. No need to thank me. I'm being totally selfish here. I think my happiness is more important than yours right now. But, since you're here make yourself useful and get that shoe box from the top shelf," she said pointing to a pair of flats on the third self of the closet. When she finished she ushered me out of our room and I went to play with Rocko in the living room. Thirty minutes later, there was a knock at the door before Rosalie showed up again. After I greeted Alice and Esme they went back to the car, but Rosalie stayed behind.

"I'm leaving. You can stay and pack what you need. Walk Rocko before you leave and lock up on your way out. Please don't be here when I get back." she said pointedly from the door while sliding on her trench coat. I couldn't do anything thing but watch and when I heard the door close, I kicked myself for not saying anything. Now, what am I supposed to do? Grabbing Rocko's leash from the hook in the laundry closet, I attached it to his collar and set about my first task.

_Great! Just keep her happy and it'll be over soon…hopefully._


	18. Chapter 18: So Now What?

**I have been struck by allergies and I am sneezing like there's no tomorrow. On the one hand, I have procured some Zyrtec and my schedule is clear for the next two days so I'm in bed writing out more chapters. Not a bad way to spend my time at all. Especially since my school is shut down thanks to all this stuff going on in Boston. If it wasn't for the fact that my nose is bright red and I look like Rudolph and all the people that got hurt, this would be pretty great. Anyway, I got plenty of laughs from you guys and as always, you don't disappoint, even those of you who were angry about Bee's mistreatment. I hate this chapter. Trust me there is a purpose. Until next time, keep reviewing and I'll keep posting.**

**RPOV**

"And there it is…that's your baby. Aren't you excited? I know I was!"

There it is. My little used to be alien. Although now, it looked a lot more like a baby and the arms were a lot longer than before. Which I guess was both good and bad given the fact that sucking your thumb isn't attractive, but in this case it was cute. And the thing is I was so excited I could barely form coherent thoughts. I was in awe. All I could do was stare at the screen and cock my head to the side. I mean, I knew the baby was in there but wow! I don't know how this worked but it was nothing short of a miracle. Squeezing Bee's hand, I could control the squeal that escaped me. Both Bee and Dr. Simon laughed at me but I was too happy to care. Everything was okay. My baby made it through the first trimester and all I had to do was stay on this track and I'd have it in a matter of months. Thank goodness for that, because I couldn't wait. But my moment of happiness was drenched in depression when the stark, cold truth set in.

"Ro, you okay?" Bee asked concern written all over her face. I shook my head to clear away the thoughts of baby long enough to realize that Dr. Simon had left the room and Bee and I were ! Now, I'd have to fill the awkward silence between us.

"Yep, just thinking. Can we go to Firehook after this? I want a cookie, maybe oatmeal chocolate chip." I said wiping the invisible lint off of my shirt in order to avoid looking at her.

"You got it babe. We just have to stop by my office for a few minutes and we can get out of here. How ya feelin'?" Bee replied helping me with my jacket.

"I'm okay. Happy. You? How does it feel to see your baby for the first time?" I didn't want to seem totally selfish, but given the fact that she wasn't too enthused about the news of our baby, I wasn't expecting her to really care much. I wouldn't have asked at all, if it weren't for curiosity getting the better of me.

"It's something. Definitely life-affirming, like wow. It's a baby in there!" she wailed almost shocking the life out of me, but I held it together. I appreciated her efforts to try and pretend that she actually cared for my benefit.

"Yeah I know. Can we go?" I felt like I couldn't breathe in the room and it was getting smaller. I wanted to grab Bee and shake her, anything to stop her from making a fool of herself, or more importantly me. I didn't need her to make me feel worse about making her come here. I already felt bad that our baby was the only thing holding us together any more. By this point, we were better off living separate lives.

"Not yet, she has to come back first, then we can go." She informed me. I wanted to be anywhere but here. I felt like I was holding her hostage, holding us both back. We could both have great relationships, but we kept holding on to the one we had. The drama, angst filled relationship that neither of us was happy in for the sake of a baby. I was starting to understand that we could both be loving parents without loving each other.

It took five minutes for Dr. Simon to show up again with pictures of our baby for each of us and giving me a clean bill of health, we headed downstairs to pediatrics. In Bee's office, things had changed. The sun was streaming through the window and in place of all the medical journals everywhere, they had been contained to a new bookshelf. I was sure that wasn't here last time I was in her office considering I took up considerable space on that particular wall. Sitting in Bee's chair, I looked at the pictures on her desk and laughed. Of course she would keep a picture of me stuffing my face from our first make-up date what seemed like ages ago.

"Well thanks for taking my seat, beautiful. Would you like my lab coat too?" Bee asked jokingly.

"No, and you're welcome. This chair looks much more comfortable than those," It really was more comfortable than the abomination she was sitting on.

"It is, you can use my computer to order your cookie if you want it to be ready when we get there." Too bad my stomach was starting to clench and cookies were the last thing on my mind.

"Nahhh. I can use the time to talk to you; I hardly know what you're up to these days." I said almost immediately regretting my words. We exchanged looks, but neither of us said a word. We didn't really need to. If I had wanted to know anything all I had to do was ask, but I was wrapped up in me that I hadn't thought about her. The fact that we didn't live together didn't help the issue either. It was hard to keep up a relationship with somebody you never actually saw. But it was exceptionally hard when I wasn't sure if I even wanted a relationship. Of course, she popped in and out while I was at work to do stuff for me but we hadn't spent much time together. Right now, we were preparing for a child together. That's it.

"Yeah, it would be nice to bend your ear." Bee said giving me a small smile, not really helping me feel better about my oversight, but happy she wouldn't hold it against me. Or maybe she was and just wouldn't tell me to my face. If I was totally honest with myself, I wasn't sure if I even knew how she felt about me now. So, it only made sense that for me to want to distance myself from her. Did I love her? Yes! More than anything else in the world. Did I want to be with her? Yes, that's all I really want. Did I NEED to be with her? I wasn't sure.

She had done plenty of nice things for me like cleaning the house and making sure to pay the dog walkers and keep Rocko groomed. But I didn't need her to do that. Maybe I would need her to help me with that stuff when I was so big I could barely move, but not now. I didn't need her providing things for me. If I needed it I could get it myself. What I wanted and expected was for her to realize that I don't have to be with her. That's a reality she sometimes doesn't seem to grasp. Just because we were having a child together, that doesn't mean we're meant to be together. Or maybe it was me who was looking at it all wrong. Maybe we are meant to be together and grow old together, but I can't see it anymore.

The uncertainty of it all, made me anxious. I always hoped that when I found the person I really clicked with who loved me for me, that we would be a forever deal. Now, I was confused. I had dreamed of the fairytale for so long that everyday life kept slapping me in the face. There were more secrets and lies in our relationship than I could shake a stick at. We were constantly teetering between fights, neither one of us willing to admit to our faults. The fact that she didn't even want our child alone was cause for consideration. It was enough to put any relationship under stress. Thinking through this brought me to the conclusion that the only time we hadn't had this problem was when we were just friends.

Yes, the chemistry was still there, but we worked much better together in the early stage of our relationship than we ever had in the later stages. I loved just getting to know her and I couldn't help but to want to be around her, she was always so full of life and spontaneous. I was always structured and everything had a place. We balanced each other out and brought out the best of one another. But in a relationship, we lost that somewhere. Maybe it was her fault, maybe it was my fault but I knew for sure that there was no way we could continue our relationship the way it was.

**BPOV**

"Yeah so, let's get down to business. I don't want to keep you out too long. It's a little chilly out here." It wasn't exactly the dead of winter anymore. It was nearing the end of February, but that didn't mean it wasn't cold enough for Rosalie to catch a cold. She wanted to enjoy her cookie on the park swing. And that's cool any other time, but to be honest, we didn't need her to get sick. She was already handling a baby and managing her migralepsy at the same time. It was best to keep any and all sicknesses at bay.

"Well, we need to make some decisions. Dr. Simon said that we should decide if we want an amniocentesis, we should decide if we want to know if it's a girl or boy, and we should start coming up with a budgeting plan like she did for her son." Okay, she threw me. A budgeting plan for a baby?! What the fuck was that? I never had a budget plan and I was fine. Considering the amount of money Rosalie is sitting on alone, I could honestly say I didn't think our baby would need one. Although considering who was having the baby, I totally got it. Everything had to be perfect and this was just one more of those things. Although, I had to admit the idea did have some merit.

"Dr. Simon's good. Garcelle talks about her all the time. We've met once or twice at dinners but I don't really know her. Good choice though. Amniocentesis' are good, but they can be risky. I don't think that's an issue. From what I hear, they have a high success rate." I reassured her, the doctor in me coming out. While obstetrics was not my field of specialty, I kept up with a lot of different areas of medicine. Hell, considering the number of middle school aged children having babies, I was referring more and more of my patients to them.

After going through the pros and cons of amniocentesis, Rosalie decided she wanted to weigh her options for a few days. We also decided not to reveal the gender to our friends until the birth. Rosalie thought it would be a big surprise for Alice who felt the need to know everything. As far as a budgeting plan, we both agreed that part our pays would go to savings for the baby. At this point it wasn't about how much money the two of us had, it was about providing a future for our child. If the baby is anything like the other Hales, college won't be cheap. Harvard may give out scholarships but you still had to live while you were at college. I still don't get how Rosalie made it through undergraduate and law school there. Jasper made it through the first four years and flew off to NYU the first chance he got.

Once we were through with all of our talking, I gave Rosalie a ride to the apartment and got Rocko to cooperate long enough to get him in my car. His hair was getting longer as were his nails and he needed to be groomed before he clawed Rosalie on accident and she drew blood. I kind of wanted my dog to live a while longer. While Rocko was getting trimmed and polished, I went back to the hotel and changed before I picked him back up. After a quick stop at Barnes and Nobel to pick up my online order, Rocko and I were headed home.

Just like I had suspected, Little Miss Busybody was out cold, lying on the couch with ungodly snores escaping her body. I was half tempted to laugh but I was too upset to really care. After pulling the door shut, I went back to my car and I just sat there. I didn't know what else to do. I was lost and I was in desperate need of guidance before I lost my girlfriend for good. But who could I talk to? My family was all out. With the exception of my nosy cousin Leah, nobody else even knew Rosalie was pregnant yet. I knew she probably already told everybody, but I wanted to wait until we made it through the first trimester. I was going to make calls tonight and alert all the Chicago presses ahead of time, because with the way my family ran their mouths it was only a matter of time before everybody in the city knew about it. I was surprised Leah has lasted this long.

I had tried everything I could think of and so far every gesture had been shut down. Kindly, but shut down nonetheless. I didn't want to believe that Rosalie was actually falling out of love with me, but things were far more platonic between us than they had been in all our years together and to be honest, it scared the hell out of me. It had to be something I could do to get back in her good graces. I was through with this friends shit, I wanted my girlfriend back. I had done all I could, and I still wasn't getting it right. What does she want from me?

Okay so maybe I overreacted and got way too attached to Ericka, maybe I stopped paying attention to Rosalie, and maybe I wasn't as forthcoming as I should have been with her but this was outrageous. It's plain as day that I love her, she knows that I want to be with her, but I don't know how many more ways I can say it to her in order for my feelings to sink in. Maybe I was over thinking it. Maybe there is no saving our relationship. Maybe there isn't….but maybe there is. I didn't know what I was going to do, but whatever it was, I was getting my family back by any means necessary.


	19. Chapter 19: A Bitch and a Half

**We're out of lock down and the suspect has been apprehended. Thank goodness the manhunt is over because I think my mom was on the verge of a nervous breakdown this morning when she rang on Skype. I don't know who all has been watching, but if you have I appreciate all the prayers and the solidarity the nation showed over the last few days. I'm proud to call this my second home. On the other hand, this chapter is really long and there will be another out as soon as Simrin finishes the editing. Until next time, Isis**

**RPOV**

It was official. I had popped. 16 weeks and a trip to a maternity store was definitely in my future. Gone were the days of the Bella Band. I was moving up to full on maternity clothes. On the plus side, all the weird side effects were gone and I was really loving being pregnant. Jasper, the loving brother that he is, was on Spring Break this week and had been staying with me the past few days. It was really funny because Rocko had taken to being my guard dog. He was never far away, and I guess he thought it was his job to protect us from Jasper the Intruder. Having my brother around was great. It was like a breath of fresh air from all the drama in my life lately and I was highly appreciative of that.

Bee and I had reached a stalemate. We weren't really together, but we hadn't exactly broken up. I don't know if we were both holding on to false hope, or if neither of us really knew how to end it. After all these years, all we had known was each other. At this point in my pregnancy, I should have been shopping for new clothes, prepping a nursery, and deciding if I really wanted to know if the little person growing inside of me was a boy or a girl. Instead, all I could really think about was Bee. I missed her being here terribly. But, I couldn't see myself allowing her to come back home with anything less than a full commitment to me and our growing family. No more secrets, no more lies. All I needed was honesty and communication. She probably could have told me she wanted to leave me and I would have had more respect for her then I do now. At the very least, she would have been honest with me.

Still, being angry with Bee didn't really make me feel better. I was mostly using her mistakes to assuage my own guilt. Granted, I did eventually tell her about the baby, I was guilty of keeping a secret too. My secret alone was more catastrophic than anything she's ever done. I didn't tell her about the baby because we weren't talking, but I could have. If I had really wanted her to know, I could have found a way to tell her. No, this was all because I was too afraid of her reaction. Although my fears were not unfounded, it wasn't right for me to keep something like that from her. She deserved to know she had a child, regardless to if she wanted one or not. Which brings me to my next point, Bee does not want this child.

She made it known that a baby was the last thing we needed and it wasn't the right time for us to have a baby. If she didn't think it would fix our problems she probably wouldn't do anything. If I hadn't forced her to show up to my appointment a few weeks ago, she would have gone about her day like nothing changed. She hasn't told anybody in her family about the baby yet and I doubt she will until she has no other choice. I'm a single parent and I hadn't even had the baby yet. My parents would be so proud. Because I'm an idiot and I love what's bad for me. Now that the likelihood of anything bad happening has diminished some, the idea that I am the only one who actually wants this child has set in and I don't think I can love Bee anymore when she doesn't accept my child.

_If only loving somebody were that easy._

We were better off perpetually dating than in our relationship. When we were in our dating phase things were light and open and we didn't have a problem talking to each other. We went our separate ways at the end of the night and met up again some other time to do it all over again. And I guess if I'm going to be completely fair to the both of us, we lost our spontaneity. Once our relationship was set, everything became routine. We never did anything new anymore. Our relationship was losing its life and everything else was pushing it further over the edge. Over the last couple of weeks, I have realized that my mother may not be the wisest woman I know, but she certainly taught me something valuable.

_Good relationships can be hard to find and even harder to maintain. _

So where do we go from here? Wherever it was, it sure had to be a hell of a lot better than here. Rising from my place on the living room floor, I went off in search of the perfect dress. Tonight was the March of the Dimes Fundraiser Gala and I knew Bee would be there. Plus, it kind of gave me a reason to get dressed to the nines. Alice would probably pop up sometime soon, so until then I was going to enjoy my peace and quiet.

**BPOV**

"So, how long are you planning on staying at this hotel, Bee? Inquiring minds want to know." Victoria said staring along with Carlisle and Jasper. We were dead locked in a game of Bid whist and try as I might to focus; I was constantly getting asked ridiculous questions. How in the hell am I supposed to know when Rosalie will give me the all clear? I didn't pretend to understand how her mind worked.

"Why does it matter to you?" It was killing me that we hadn't broached the subject of our actual relationship. Both of us were actively co-parenting our unborn child from separate locations coming together when we had to. But, things had changed. We were acting more like friends and less like a couple. Something everybody else quickly picked up on, causing us to tell the truth and all of what happened, minus the more personal details. Of course, the only people really left to tell were Esme and Carlisle since, like her small fry girlfriend, Victoria couldn't hold water. Honestly, I half expected everyone to already know last Friday when I showed up to dinner fifteen minutes after Rosalie. We had friendly conversation, kisses on the cheek, and once we even held hands. Still, it never went further than that. We were tiptoeing on an invisible line. I wanted things to go back to normal.

"I'm just wondering. You know, Alice said she wanted a baby last night? It scared the living shit out of me, dude. Then she burst out laughing so I knew she was joking. Thank goodness. Could you see me and Alice with a child? God help that kid. It would have to be practically a teenager to survive us." Victoria said trying to lighten the mood, even though I could tell she really had worried about Alice's bout of baby fever.

"Alice?! A baby what? Yorkie? Doll? Tee? No. The kid would be scarred for life! I can believe it though. You know it is. It always seems to happen in groups, one person they know gets pregnant and then bam it's a full-fledged pandemic. It's contagious like monogamy and marriage. Everyone they know is either pregnant or knows someone that's pregnant. Don't get me wrong I love Rosalie, but I can't handle any more baby news after this blow up." Japer rambled. It was true though. Every time one of my sisters got pregnant, it was like it was in the water or something. Within a matter of months boom, there's a surplus of little crying, burping, wrinkly baby stink machines. Especially in the summer months, baby showers were like annual social functions for Rosalie, Esme, and Alice when Tanya and my younger sisters were pregnant.

Carlisle laughed and finished off his Coke. "Yeah, but you have to admit they're worth it." He said. "Esme and I think it would be nice to have a baby once were married and have a home together." All three of us caught whiplash turning to look at him with wide eyes and matching expressions of disbelief. Although I agree with him to a fault, I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Married? Had I missed something, was Esme engaged? I didn't want to kill Carlisle but I would if he was keeping secrets.

"Ugh, you're all domesticated now. The last half hour has been full of nothing but baby talk, houses, and marriage, I'm outta here. Rosalie is probably gone by now anyway." Jasper said putting his cards all in and grabbing his Martin's container up off of the table after shoving a chicken tender in his mouth, little pieces flying out, like a toddler without table manners.

"Gone? Where?" I inquired. I had just seen her yesterday and she hadn't said anything about going out tonight. She was supposed to be home resting. I knew Alice had a dinner meeting with a client and Esme was in Alaska working on a new hotel with her company. She had no way to go anywhere and she was supposed to be catching up on cleaning and spending time with Jasper.

"Some date tonight, I'm not really sure. All I know is she's been looking forward to it all week." All of us, with the exception of Jasper started laughing until we realized he was serious and I had to stop myself from racing out to our apartment right that second. What the fuck?! Who was she dating?! I was on the verge of a killing spree, but I had to maintain my composure.

"Oh. Well, you guys I need to start getting ready for this event. You can chill here if you want but I'm going to shower. I gotta look fresh for the ladies." I said trying to play it off like I wasn't hurt. It took everything in me not to fly off the handle. How could she do this to me? We hadn't even broken up and she was dating other people. That's just wrong. She's pregnant with my child for Christ's sake! You don't just go around cheating when you're pregnant.

_Pregnant or not, cheating is cheating. You should know all about that._

Walking into the bedroom of my suite and closing the door, I ran into the bathroom and turned on the shower, before going back to my room and stalking over to the bedside table to get my phone. I tried to call Rosalie three times and after the last time I was already too heated to even think about what I wanted to say anymore. I settled on texting her.

**5:32 p.m.**

**Ro, wtf? A date? Call me!**

Going to the bathroom, I went to shower in case I had to go looking for Rosalie. I didn't want to hurt anybody tonight, but Rosalie was really testing my patience. When I found out what girl she was with, I would put my fist through her face so hard her body would dangle off of my arm. When I left my room, the premises had been vacated and there was no evidence of visitors except Victoria's Starbucks cup on the table. Tossing it, I quickly blow dried my hair out before getting dressed. I decided to leave it down considering that I usually had it up at work. After grabbing my keys, gum, and phone I headed out.

On my way to the venue, I stopped at our apartment to try and catch Rosalie and she was nowhere to be found. Instead all I got was Rocko's sloppy kisses and Jasper's off key singing in the guest bathroom as he showered. I checked my watch and realized I was late. Once I got to the fundraiser, I wasn't really in a social mood. In fact, I wished everybody would just stay away from me. I couldn't believe Rosalie was doing this to me. To us. Did I mean so little to her that she would do this to me? I was more hurt and confused than I had ever been in my entire life.

I love her. I would give her the world. She could have my heart. Hell, I would give my life for her and she was blowing it all away for some girl who probably didn't give a shit about her except for the fact that she was beautiful and she looked like she could be a model. Yeah, the baby would probably be an issue, but if she was just looking for a one night stand it wouldn't matter. She'd be gone by morning anyway.

_Rosalie isn't that kind of girl. You may be, but not Rosalie. She doesn't do one night stands._

I thought I had known Rosalie. I thought she would never do something like this, but as the night moved on I was less pissed and more worried. I wanted Rosalie home safe, away from all the disgusting women who wanted to put their grimy little hands on her. I was her girlfriend and I wasn't standing for this. I got up from my table and was about to go wish my boss a good night when my phone rang.

"Hello?" I answered not bothering to look at the caller I.D. I didn't give a shit right now, all I wanted as to find Rosalie and ring her date's neck.

"Hey Baby." Ro's voice purred, smooth as cream. "You miss me?" Rosalie? Of course, it was Rosalie I knew her voice like it was my own. At first, I wanted to be mad at her for even calling me after all this time, but now I just wanted answers. This had gone on long enough.

"Fuck yeah, I miss you. I need to see you. We need to talk now." I whispered, trying to avoid too much attention. The last thing I wanted was to be cornered in a conversation. That might not have been the best tactic but I couldn't help it.

"Bee." she said in a slightly agitated and impatient voice. I didn't know what her problem was. I was the one who got screwed over here.

"Yeah, Baby." I stiffly replied, still angry.

"Come get me. I'm on the other side of the crowd."

I was already on the move. "You're here at this fundraiser, on the other side of this room?" I sounded like an idiot, but I was shocked. The nerve of Rosalie. What possessed her to flaunt this bitch in my face? I was already out for blood and whoever she was with would be just the body I needed to satisfy my craving.

"Yes." What is it with her and these one word answers? For someone who usually has a lot to say, she was remarkable quiet.

I stopped at the other side of the ballroom and scanned the large crowd of people. "Where?"

"Find me." Rosalie giggled.

"Damn it, Rosalie. I'm not in the mood for games." I could have said so many other things. I could have told her how betrayed I felt, how hurt I was, or how disrespectful I thought she was being. But I didn't. I couldn't. I wouldn't because I had done the same thing to her. Karma is really a bitch and a half. I would never doubt it again.

She sighed. "Turn to your right, and go up four tables. I'm sitting at the table to your left."

I didn't hang up until she saw Rosalie vaguely aware of Garcelle and some other woman sitting at the table. I didn't know her so she was an automatic target. She wasn't pretty or even cute. "I need to talk to you. Come with me." I said leading her away from the table and across the ballroom to my table. Placing the envelope with my donation underneath my place card, and we were out the door.

I was half way to her SUV before I asked Rosalie "You didn't drive here did you? You still have a few months restriction left."

"No, I came with Garcelle. Could you slow down? I'm not running to keep up with you." She replied stopping completely and putting her hands on her hips. I mumbled apologies and slowed down. I should have been more careful with her. She was entitled to go as slow as she saw fit. The last thing I wanted was her falling all over the place, even if I was pissed.

I unlocked the passenger side door before helping her inside. Once I was inside I locked the doors, we weren't going anywhere until I got my answers.


	20. Chapter 20: Walking the Line

**School closes but does that stop professors from assigning ridiculously long assignments that you can't possibly finish in one night? Uhhh…NOPE! I'm so tired I can barely hold my eyes open I haven't left this library since yesterday except to shower and I have a pretty red spot on my forehead that won't go away from when I slept in my law book. I just want to say thank you to my professor's for doing an awesome job at ruining my life. Last full week of classes…thank God. I'll read reviews in the morning when I can see well enough to read without a magnifying glass.-Isis**

**RPOV**

Here I sat inside Bee's car focused everywhere, anywhere besides at her. I could practically see the steam coming from her ears. I wasn't going to get angry. I wasn't going to raise my voice. And whatever conversation we were on the cusp of having wouldn't be happening here. Everybody already had enough to say about our relationship already. Nobody needed to see us arguing.

"Bee, before you say anything, we need to go. We can't do this here. You know how people start talking about your relationship when it appears funny or suspicious on the outside."

"It's none of their fucking business what we do, Ro. This is our relationship and we are the only two people who can make it work." Bee said, vehement in her response gripping the steering wheel for dear life. "Who gives a fuck what they think? But if we can't do this any other way, fine. Let's go to my hotel room. "I didn't really want to go to her hotel room, not knowing what I would find. But, it was really the only feasible choice. Jasper was at the apartment and the last thing we needed was an audience of any type. If I knew us and I did, things would get pretty loud.

"I better text Garcelle and tell her before she worries about us. You know, that is the responsible thing to do." I said off handedly while pulling out my cell phone. Gauging Bee's expressions, I could tell that the arrow struck home but she stayed quiet pulling out of the parking lot as I typed away.

Bee didn't say a word as she maneuvered through late night traffic. I knew she was angry and I knew she was frustrated but I couldn't take my eyes off her. The strong set of her jaw as she clenched her teeth in anger made me want to comfort her. But, it was best I let her sulk. We were not `arguing in the middle of traffic, which was simply out of the question. I knew Bee was breaking the speed limit, but her looking for cops out of the rearview mirror didn't exactly help the situation. At the very least, she should have kept her eyes on the road. When she pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and the car was at a complete stop, I noticed her checking the luminous clock on her dashboard. She made it in thirty minutes.

"You're lucky you didn't get a ticket." I commented before hoping out and storming into the lobby of the hotel. She wouldn't cause a scene there and I needed her to calm down or this talk would be pointless. We never got anything accomplished when we were angry. Usually, because we ended up jumping each other in the heat of the moment, but that was pre-pregnancy. Now, I was giving as good as I got. If she wanted to be a baby about whatever was bugging her, we would take that route.

As soon as we were in her room, the gloves were off. Bee got rid of her jacket quicker than it took me to blink and was sitting across from me glaring at me like I just round housed her. She wanted to put up a fight, that's cool. I'd break her down like a fraction. I had been bred to bitch. This would be a cake walk.

"So, I guess you didn't feel the need to call me back or respond to any of my texts huh? That's really cute." Ughh the attitude. I seriously wasn't in the mood to deal with this. Everytime she got mad I had to watch her sulk and throw a tantrum. That was getting pretty old really quickly.

"Yeah, well I was busy. I didn't know I needed to give you a play by play of my daily activities. Did you need something, honey? I said sweetly, choking back the urge to call her a selfish asshole like I started to.

"No. I didn't need anything. Nothing at all, I was just wondering what girl was having the privilege of crawling between your legs tonight. It must be nice not to give a shit about your girlfriend. I wish I knew what that life was like." What in the hell? Why do I feel like she just called me a slut? Is she serious? Her? of all people?

"Knew it? You invented it! It's like you have no sense of self-control at all. Wait, let's calm down. This isn't getting us anywhere. And what girl are you talking about?" I'm not going to lie, I was totally confused. Who was talking about cause I damn sure didn't know.

"Jasper said you were going on a date." Bee said subconsciously biting the inside of her cheek. So this was my idiot brother's fault. I would have to talk to him about listening when I spoke instead of resorting to his specialized brand of selective hearing that was as distorted as a mixed up Rubik's cube.

"Oh no, Jasper is an idiot, who would have guessed? Bee, come on. You know me better than that. I was telling him about how I wanted to start having date nights. With you, of course. I meant to surprise you but I kept chickening out, because believe it or not, I was worried about impressing you. Silly isn't it? I can't help it though. Even though you piss me off and make me want to punch you in the face, I still love you like crazy. It's silly, obnoxious, giggly, butterflies, and baby violins and it's real. And it took me forever to realize that even though things aren't perfect between us, we're perfect for each other."

"So just to be clear, you were…"

"Not dating somebody else. I promise, in fact you can call Alice if you need to. That was her secretary Gianna with us. I believe she is interested in one of your co-workers, Felix I think his name is. I was kind of distracted when she was going on about him." I said now totally focused on the floor, avoiding having to say anything else and look even more like an idiot. Cause I was. An idiot in love.

**BPOV**

There she was, across the room wringing her hands like a wet dish cloth, her nerves getting the best of her. Even with worry marring her brow, she looked as gorgeous as always. Even more so in fact. The constant uncrossing of her legs distracted me momentarily as she adjusted her dress. Returning my focus to her face, I noticed that there were small bags under her eyes and though makeup hid most of it, she probably hadn't slept fitfully in quite some time. But, the glow was still there, even as tired as she probably was. Her hair was pulled back, but that didn't stop her from tugging lose her favorite strand fidgeting with it as if it would calm her nerves enough for her to speak. It wouldn't though, so I took the initiative.

"I'm still in love with you Rosalie. Nothing's changed, I still want to be with you." At this point, all I had to give her was honesty and she could either accept or reject that but I wanted her to know how I felt. I couldn't stay away from her. I needed to be closer, but I was cautious and waited.

"You don't have to lie to me. Just because we're having a baby, that doesn't mean you have to pretend to care. Our relationship had real problems Bee, we can't pretend they don't exist and go on act like this whole thing was just some elaborate joke." Rosalie sputtered out taking a step back as I approached her more out of anxiety than fear.

I knew she was going to fight me tooth and nail on this and I kind of liked it. Even a pissed off, stubborn Ro is better than none at all. I'd rather see her seething than keep engaging in this passive aggressive behavior she had been employing lately. I wanted her to scream at me, get angry, hit me, and do whatever she had to do to get this shit out of her system because I wasn't standing for it anymore.

"We can figure it out." It really was that easy. Of course, I expected her to put up a fight. I could tell her all day long but she wouldn't believe I actually cared until she was ready. I love her, but sometimes her mood swings give me whiplash. I have never met a more indecisive woman in my life.

"We couldn't figure it out before, why is now different?" she said simply as if that was all the reason she needed to stay away from me. But the thing is, the less she wanted anything to do with me, the more I wanted her. I guess I'm a sucker for a good chase.

"I didn't try. Not really." Rosalie looked like I had just spit on her or something.

And I guess in a way I had. Metaphorically speaking of course, I took everything she worked towards in our relationship and threw it back in her face. Nobody wanted to believe that the person they devoted their life to, wasn't as in invested in maintain the same kind of closeness with them. But if this was going to be our new beginning we were going to do it right. I was putting me heart on the line for the benefit of our relationship. I couldn't bullshit my way through it this time. I was going to commit my life to her.

"What about the baby? It's not going anywhere and whether you like it or not, I'm having this baby. We made it and I'm going to take care of it. There's no point in even considering the possibility of us having a relationship when my child is an unwelcomed burden to you."

"Rosalie, what the hell are you talking about? I never said that I didn't want this baby. I know I freaked when you told me, but didn't you freak out when the doctor told you? I was just really shocked and I was in a bad place in my life. I didn't respond the way I would have normally. Our baby isn't an issue. As far as I'm concerned, that's probably the only thing I've done right or been totally certain of in a really long time." I said and I meant every single word. No doubt she'd keep questioning me but the answer wasn't going to change. That was just as much my child as hers.

"But if it doesn't work out we can't give this child a ..."

I had to cut her off before she went on another nonsense tangent. "So let's make sure it works out." Simple, cut, dry, and to the point. I don't understand why there needs to be a thousand talks to get anything done. I just wanted to address the issue and move on.

"It might not be that easy, what if you get bored or we stop trusting each other again? How can you commit to a lifetime of never knowing when and if we could fall apart? How can you agree to try again when this time almost killed our entire relationship?" Rosalie said worrying her lip and nervously tapping the heel of her shoe against the floor.

"Nothing ever is easy for us. I think we secretly like it a little more that way. Neither one of us will admit it of course, but that's what keeps things going. We're always dancing close to the edge, but we have to much fight in us to quit cold turkey. I've never known you to give up on something you really want. You just like to argue and I let you. I just think you're so damn beautiful when you're mad. Something about it just makes me want you even more."

"This doesn't make sense. All this time, you loved me? This was all for nothing? All this worrying and distance was pointless? We broke up for nothing? You really want to be with me? But that doesn't add up. We barely even speak to each other anymore; you don't even visit me at home or anything. We're like on different continents right now we're so disconnected."

"Trust me, I know that. Still, that doesn't really change anything. I love you."

"But we broke up. You broke up with me. You practically moved out for Christ sake!" She screamed at me like it was all my fault. I wasn't the one who blew up and told myself to leave. No that was her. But if she needed to bitch me out so be it.

"You broke up with me actually. I just went along with it." Way to go Captain Obvious, because that's really going to make me sound like I care. In all honesty though, I was so shocked at the time I couldn't do anything. If I'd tried to talk to her then she may have killed me. Beautiful she was. Reasonable she sometimes was not.

"Why? Why would you go along with it if you loved me? You should have fought. You should have tried harder." Rosalie wondered shaking her head back and forth like the notion was totally unable to connect in her brain. Was she on crack when she kicked me out or something? There is no way she didn't know what she was doing.

"Because it was what you wanted. I'm not totally selfish you know. I actually do give a shit about you!" I shouted, almost immediately wincing after the words left my mouth. Yelling wouldn't fix anything and it wasn't like she was yelling at me. I could have handled it better but I couldn't worry about how I said it now, when it was what I said that needed to be acknowledged.

"Well let's say I didn't want that anymore. Let's say for arguments sake that I wanted you to come home. Hypothetically speaking of course, if I wanted my girlfriend back, could she forgive me? Would she come back to me so we could be a family and she could be back at home where she belongs? If I told her how much I missed her and how much I love her would that convince her? What about if I said I knew it was going to be hard but I really wanted us to be a family with our baby. What would she think?" Hmm, this was more like what I wanted to hear and okay, so it took a while to fight Ro down to this point, but I was all about desirable outcomes. She was standing right in front of me. It would be a pity not to take advantage of such an opportunistic moment.

"I think, and this is just a guess, but I think she would be happy with that. And she'd probably kiss you so hard you fainted. I think she knows she made a mistake and she paid dearly for it. In order for her to forgive you though, you might have to accept her apology first. But, I also think she knows that her place is at home with her family. Hypothetically, of course, I think the only question she would have is how fast she can get your brother out of your apartment." I said placing light kisses on her lips before possessing her mouth getting caught up in her all over again. Our mouths welded together, our tongues massaging each other, both of us refusing to stop until Rosalie needed to breathe or she really would faint.

"That can be arranged." Rosalie gasped as I left her to get her bearings while I went to pack. The last thing I heard was the tap of Rosalie's heel against the floor as she waited for Jasper to answer the phone right before she said the words I had been waiting to hear.

"Get out Jay, Bee's coming home and we want to be left alone." He'd leave if he knew what was good for him. Hell, I'd even donate my room to the cause. All I wanted was to be alone with Rosalie. On second thought, maybe home could wait. Running back to the front of the suite, I grabbed the phone from Rosalie's hand.

"Hey, Jasper. Never mind, we're going to take a mini vacation. Watch Rocko and keep him off of the counter. We'll see you Sunday morning." I instructed Jasper before turning off Ro's phone altogether.

"Excuse me, but I don't remember you asking me if I was okay with this sudden change in plans." Rosalie complained. Sometimes I swore she was contrary just for the sake of being contrary. If she had really wanted to leave she would have been in the lobby by now.

"Oh I'm sorry, Miss Hale. I was just under the impression that we should spend some time getting reacquainted. We can go home if you want." I said grabbing my jacket and keys.

"Oh, no. I like this idea way better." Rosalie replied grabbing my shirt and pulling me closer to her, kissing me like her life depended on it. I had to admit, this was one of my better ideas because at the end of the day, everything was back to normal. Life wasn't perfect and we teetered on the verge of arguments at a moment's notice. Life would never be a cake walk….and we preferred it that way.


	21. Chapter 21: Rubbed Me Wrong

**Hi you guys, I'm back! Sorry it's taken so long, I've been really busy this week catching up. But on the plus side, I'm done with classes. Your reviews are awesome and I promise you no more long breaks. I have three exams next week then I'm off to the other side of the world. Egypt sounds really nice right now. I got new clothes from my aunt just for the trip! I can't wait to go back home either. America is great. But I miss England. Most of America is bollocksed up right now, sadly. Anyway here's your next chapter. I hope you like it. –Isis **

**RPOV**

Mini-vacations will never be the same again. After a weekend of nothing but Bee and me locked inside a hotel suite, I was seriously second guessing going back out into the real world. But Sunday did come and try as we might to stop it, reality was awaiting our return. We dropped Jasper off at the airport and went home to lock ourselves in again. The next few weeks passed very strangely. Some days seemed like mere seconds, while others were much too long. Pretty soon we'd made it to week twenty one and we were half way through with the pregnancy part of bringing our child into the world.

The last few weeks have seen a lot of changes for both Bee and me. I had gone from little bump to obviously pregnant and our apartment had been arranged and rearranged several times by Bee and Victoria at my insistence because I was bored with it every few days. Bee was working harder than ever before to cater to my every whim and read every parenting book she could get her hands on in her spare time between work and following my ever-changing whims. We'd gone to the doctor's again yesterday and everything was progressing smoothly. I had been had more frequent headaches and my back…whoa! But I was told it was all normal. And, I'm not going to lie, normal was nice. I had almost forgotten what normal was and it was nice to have that back for a while.

As I walked into our apartment, I immediately started removing clothes. I don't know if the fact that it was spring and it was hot as the blazes, had anything to do with it but I was burning up and my back was waging a war against me. By the time I made it upstairs, I was frustrated and highly overheated. Going into the closet I pulled out Bee's t-shirt and went rinse the sticky, smelly sweat from my body. I was hungry, but I was much too tired to even hold a fork. As soon as I was out of the shower, I practically ran to the thermostat and cranked the air all the way up. Laying the bed, I was asleep in less than five minutes. But, it was staying asleep that would prove to be the hard part.

After two hours of tossing, turning, and beating my pillows to near oblivion I was sleepy and ready to punch Bee in the face. All I wanted was a nap and Bee's baby was being extremely difficult. This new sleeping position wasn't conducive to my sleeping habits, and as someone who sleeps on their stomach, I was less than pleased with that little fun fact. Totally giving up, I pushed myself up in bed and just sat there. There was nothing to do, but not sleep and I had already mastered that. It also didn't help that my legs were constantly cramping. Even with all of that, I was so happy I didn't really care. It was so funny how fast my life was changing.

I had sprouted a baby bump virtually overnight and people were more than eager to touch it, especially Alice. Let her tell it, she had a special connection with this baby like she just knew this was going to be the next big fashion designer, or worse a shopaholic. We didn't have the heart to tell her that the likelihood of that happening was slim to none. Of course she was adamant that if she actually knew the gender of our child it would be easier to lead them in the right direction, yet another ploy to discover more about the little life inside of me.

I mean, sure we knew it was a girl, it's no mistaking that. I practically fainted when the doctor told us. I was prepared for a son. Boys are easy to take care of and not nearly as whiny. Girls were a whole other dilemma. You have so much to tell her and if you're lucky and you raise her right she might just make it out of your house before you have to kill somebody for getting her pregnant. I could handle a boy. Boys were safe. Rough, messy, and smelly but safe. Girls, not so much. But a girl was definitely the right choice for us, so whoever decided that must have known what they were doing. If there was ever a time when I wanted to tell Alice, that would have been it.

But I said I wasn't giving it away, and I wouldn't let Alice break me. She'd just have to wait and meet her like everybody else. Esme didn't care about gender as much as how soon she could buy the baby Lego blocks, which I had banned from the apartment permanently after the Thanksgiving fiasco. Tanya was over the moon, praying for a niece that she would eventually get. And everybody else was just hoping everything went well and the baby was born with all ten fingers and toes.

I hadn't talked to my parents much, although Jasper called all the time. Apparently, they'd gone off to Aruba with a group of friends, at least according to Jasper. They wouldn't be back until tomorrow and I doubted I would see or hear from them even then. They hadn't had much to say to me since the announcement of my pregnancy, which I was totally fine with. At the very least, it has stopped my mother from interrupting some pretty hot sex between Bee and I. Theresa and May have stopped by several times though, and spent hours crooning over my stomach as if the baby was already here in my arms. That was a sight Bee got a kick out of.

In many ways, I felt that the two of them were more like parents to me than my own parents. They came to every tennis match, volleyball game, recital, and play I ever had and boasted on both Jasper and I as if we were their children. My attachment to them went much deeper than the one with the people I was biologically related to. They filled our home with love and nurtured us when we needed it. But, they also disciplined us when it was necessary. We saw our parents once or twice a week at dinner and at breakfast in the mornings. They were more like older roommates than anything else. And as ironic as it may seem, I didn't want that for my child.

Sure, I expected that I would return to work once our daughter was born and I knew Bee would continue working. But I didn't want someone else raising my child. I would be there for the things that mattered to her. I would be around whether she wanted me there or not and I wouldn't put my job before her. People say all the time that it's impossible to have a family and a job and thrive in both. I don't believe that at all. I believe it is impossible to be a devoted workaholic with a family. It is a way to have your cake and eat it too. You have to know when to pull back and weigh your options. I'm not saying that I gave up on making partner in the next four years. I'm just saying if I don't because I decided that spending more time with my daughter was more important, I won't lose sleep over it.

Turning on the TV, I flipped through the channels until I came to Food Network. It was smack dab in the middle of an episode of Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and my mouth was watering. I was much too hungry to be watching it begin with, but it was like I couldn't look away. Pretty soon, my stomach was rumbling and I was about to go scrounging for food, when I looked up and saw Bee standing in the door. I almost fell on my ass I ran so fast to get to her.

"Hey Ro, miss me?" Bee said kissing me on my forehead and ignoring the pout on my face. What kind of a kiss was that? Looks like I have to do all the work around here.

"Of course, how long have you been there?" she inquired successfully stopping my attempt to kiss her. This would be so much easier if I could just jump on her like I used to and wrap my body around her. But no, that was asking too much. Yet another thing, Bee's baby is good at…cockblocking.

"Just got here, I came up to change before I start dinner. Is there anything particular you want to eat?"

Hmm let me think. Spicy sounds so good right now. But chocolate and ooooh cheese, but wait, what about the Doritos and whipped cream. Oh my god, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. "How about jalapeno nachos covered in chocolate?"

"First of all, no, just no. Second, I know for a fact that you and chocolate aren't on the best terms right now. Why add jalapenos to that?" I didn't want to have to explain to my idiot girlfriend the importance of the sweet-spicy theorem that was happening in my head so I did the next best thing and conceded while planning to send Jason out for lunch tomorrow.

"You're right, let's have the chili from last night. That was really good. Could we eat it in here though? My back is killing me!" I whined, adding an extra sad pout for effect hoping Bee would understand my pain and take mercy on me for the enduring her demon spawn's reign of terror on my back.

"Nope, sorry no dice. You need this exercise to help with the leg cramps, plus I have something planned for later that will help with that." Bee said sternly, although there was a hint of a smile that turned into a full on smirk. Damn her and that smirk, and all the things it does to me. Now I'm hot, horny, and hungry. Great! Did I mention how much I love being pregnant.

"I'm sold. But can this include pineapples?"

"I'm already two steps ahead of you. Come on, let's eat."

**BPOV**

I warmed our dinner, while watching Ro move slowly around the kitchen as we talked about nothing of consequence. The last couple of weeks had been a cake walk for the two of us, but the last few days had seen a new crop of problems. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the least bit worried about Rosalie. The truth was she was all I thought about anymore. I worried about her even when I didn't need to. I had worked with small children for my entire career and one of my closest coworkers was an OB/GYN but that did little to ease my mind. Being a doctor made me acutely aware of things that could go wrong. It was probably beneficial that I knew those things. But, it didn't exactly help my paranoia. And, believe me, my paranoia was in hyper drive.

Over the past two weeks, I had read three parenting books from cover to cover and so far I had learned that what my patient's parents have been saying for years has never been more true. You don't begin to grasp what they must be feeling until you have a child of your own. Now that I had a little girl counting on me to keep her safe, I was more cautious and careful than ever before. Rosalie said I was being overprotective, to which my only response was, "You can never start too early". I was more than a little excited to meet my daughter, but I wasn't all too happy with the effects of pregnancy.

Although Ro's hormones were much more leveled out, she was experiencing some discomfort as her body changed to accommodate our daughter. More often than not, her back was hurting. No matter how much I told her to treat herself to the spa, on me of course she simply refused, calling it a waste of money. And, well, if she wouldn't go to the spa, I'd bring the spa to her.

While Rosalie ate, I went back upstairs to shower, draw a bath for Ro, and transfer the songs on my computer to her iPod. Once as I was finished, I headed back to the kitchen. Rosalie was finishing her second bowl of pineapple chunks when I walked in and I couldn't restrain my laughter at the thought of her giving birth to a pineapple. Once she finished, I sent her to the bath while I did the dishes, which earned me a grimace and a bunch of mumbles about maids and invalids that made me cringe. The last thing we needed was an argument.

We had gone through this a few nights ago too, while editing our baby registry. I ended in the guest room for two days before Rosalie decided to be gracious and allow me back into our bedroom. But, I had learned my lesson. It was best that I didn't say anything. Instead of following my instinct to snap back at her, I focused on cleaning the chili pot in front of me. And I guess it must have worked, because soon enough I was done and laying on our bed watching Rocko play with a chew toy.

Thirty minutes later, Rosalie emerged from the bathroom, her wet hair braided down and her glasses, perched on her nose. I knew she thought this was the geekiest she ever got, but I thought it was cute. I kind of liked the fact that she didn't feel the need to wear makeup, contacts, or any of the other things she swears by around me. Yeah, all those things made her feel more confident but she was still sexy as hell anyway. When she was in the bed, I pulled her into me and reveled in the feel of her body against my own before I pulled back and slowly began to knead her shoulders.

"This feels good. It really good actually." Rosalie moaned while I went about my ministrations hoping to ease the soreness in her body even if only for a while.

"I can tell, you're moaning babe."

"I am not!" Ro screamed, as her face flushed in embarrassment. It was no secret that she was craving sex now more than she ever had during the course of our relationship and it was slightly unnerving to her. More than once last Friday, Alice had to redirect our attention to the food in front of us or we probably would have had sex right there on her dining room table in front of everybody. I had now taken on the task of controlling both of us, for the sake of all the innocent people who may have been forced to witness that.

"Yes you are, but I've heard it plenty of times before. It's fine. Plus, it gives me an excuse to feel you up." I said jokingly, tickling her sides while she squirmed around.

"You're such a perv,"she said sighing as I massaged her back. I'm not going to lie, I would love nothing more than to spend my night making love to Rosalie, but after last night's tossing and turning what she really needed was sleep and I wasn't going to hinder that. If all else failed, I would go sleep in the guest room.

"That's debatable. I thought you liked it when I felt you up. Plus, it's not like I actually need an excuse."

"Are you implying that you think I'm easy?"

"No. I was saying, not implying, that you like it when I touch you. That's not a bad thing. Actually, I rather enjoy it. Now will you stop talking please, I'm trying to help you here. Just relax." And relax she did. So much so, in fact that it wasn't until I felt her breathing on my neck that I realized she had fallen asleep. Pulling the covers over her, I sat up and pulled out my latest book, intent on gaining as much new information as I could before I fell asleep. After two hours and three and a half chapters, my eyelids began to droop. I reached over to turedn off the lamp before snuggling under the covers and wrapping my arms around Rosalie.

"Love you, Bee." Rosalie said sleepily, snuggling her face into her pillow.

"I love you too, Ro."


	22. Chapter 22: Beauty

**Ahhh! I'm back and I just finished my last online exam! As of 12:00 I am officially a Year 3 Law student. My apartment is packed, I've cleaned, and all my things have been moved to storage. I leave in the morning for Egypt and I just got a new Mac. I.T. could fix it so off to the Mac Store I went. I'm trying to negotiate a settlement with my dad on the cost of my new laptop, but he drives a hard bargain. Luckily, I still have my hard drive with the next two chapters on it. Anyways, I hope you like this one. -Isis**

**RPOV**

I felt the air hitting my thighs as I slept and I wanted to wrap up in my blanket, until I felt Bee's warm hands spreading my legs even further apart and sticking her finger inside me to see how wet I was and, no doubt be greeted by a waterfall. It was no need for me to attempt to sleep now. If Bee was ready to dish out some of her magical tongue skills who was I to say no? She had been avoiding me like the plague lately. As far as I was concerned, this was long overdue and I was going to enjoy it.

Suddenly, the phone on the bedside table rang. I instinctively knew it was Esme. She called in the mornings now before leaving for business related matters when she was away. She claimed it was her way of making sure the baby didn't get here before she got back. Bee stopped and looked up from her place between my legs. The phone rang again and I was intent on ignoring it, but it was no point in avoiding Esme when Bee decided she was done anyway. Reaching for the phone with trembling fingers, I answered.

"Hey, girl. Did I wake you?" Esme asked.

"No, I was already up," I answered, trying to sound natural, although how natural could you sound when somebody was devouring you like a cupcake just moments before.

"I thought you might be sleep, since you have the day to relax." she said.

"No, I have some things to do today, baby shower's today," I replied as quickly as possible before another wave of sensations passed through me. I let out a slight gasp as she felt a finger penetrate her. Looking down, Bee had smirk on her face as she worked her fingers in and out of me. All the desire in the world was washing over me as I talked to Esme. As entertaining as her happy conversation was, I was heavily pregnant and it wouldn't be much longer until I couldn't see my feet. I needed this and if she wanted to keep talking well, I'd be on the phone while Bee licked and sucked every part of me. Several times, I held her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone to conceal my shallow breathing. Before the conversation was over, Bee was lapping greedily at me and I was officially done. Damn all that to hell, I was getting mine. Esme could wait.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry, I forgot today was the day! Alice has my present. Miss me yet? Are you okay?" Esme asked. No. I didn't miss her. I missed sex and she was interrupting a great start to my day. If only she had known how long it had been she wouldn't hinder me from enjoying this moment.

" No prob. Yeah silly, I haven't seen you in two weeks. Don't worry about me. We're fine and I'm sure Alice will keep us on our toes." I yelled. Oh my god, oh my god. Bee was trying to kill me.

"I love ya chica," Esme screamed practically killing my eardrums.

"I love you, too" I replied biting my lip and trying to maintain my composure and failing miserably when Bee pushed me right over the edge. The comment was directed at my oblivious best friend on the phone, but I was really talking to Bee. God, her and her mouth. I could have been whispering, squealing, whimpering, shit I don't know. All concept of time was gone and I dropped my phone and let it all out. All the screams and moans I had held in, came back full force. My body jerked but I couldn't stop it. The sensation was so euphoric, I was nowhere near ready for it to be over even though my body would protest if I went any further.

Hanging up the phone, I took a handful of Bee's hair and forced her to look at me.

"You are so dead," I said, with mock anger.

"Ehh, I'll die happy. You shouldn't have answered." Bee grinned and we both burst out laughing until a message came through on my phone.

**9:30 am**

I REALLY don't want to know! Text me later or call when Bee isn't murdering you.

Laughing at Esme's unfortunate timing, I sat up to adjust my pillows. Just because I wasn't complaining right now, that didn't stop Bee's big headed daughter from trying to break my back from the inside. I'm sure she hates me right now with the way my bladder cant retain water. I swear I am in the bathroom every ten minutes now. My ankles are always swollen and I'm as big as a house. The only thing I have left is my sex drive. Once she takes that away, she might as well just kill me. Okay maybe not kill me, but a coma is a nice compromise. I kept trying to get up and Bee kept holding me down.

"Mmmm. I wish we could stay. But today is our baby shower. We kind of have to be there, Bee. Hello. Baby in here." I said leaning awkwardly to point my index fingers at the round expanse that was my once flat, toned stomach. Pregnancy really messes up your body. I had stretch marks, varicose veins, and I looked like I was a step away from the grave. Everybody kept talking about this elusive glow. I had yet to see it. Mother Nature's a bitch.

Bee sighed and rolled her eyes in a joking manner. "Yeah, I forgot about that for just a second. Damn, staying home sounded really good. I'd especially love it if you were naked."

"I know it did," I smiled, "but, when it's over, we can come home, turn off our phones, and shut out the rest of the world. No Alice, no baby talk, no friends. Just you and me. I was thinking we could have a stay-cation."

"I like that idea." Bee cocked her eyebrow at me. "Have I told you how much I love you lately?"

I laughed. "Only once or twice in the last half hour." I laid there and snuggled into Bee's side, although I really should have been heading for the shower. "You know what would make this moment even more perfect?" I asked.

"What?"

"Ice cream."

**BPOV**

Whatever gene it is that makes women want to have baby showers, and later enjoy them is one I obviously lack. I had never been so mortified in my life. Doomsday was upon us. I was being forced to go sit for hours and socialize about the importance of stretch mark cream. I'd rather be home watching Netflix. Rosalie informed me that not having attended a baby shower by now could be considered the equivalent of never having seen the ocean or been to a circus. This was a time-honored female rite of passage and I had been missing out. On what, was the question.

Rosalie had been moving around the apartment like a bat out of hell all morning. Ever since she'd gotten out of the shower, I sat on our bed and watched as she demolished our closet looking for the right thing to wear. I was shocked to see her rushing to make sure we left the house on time. She hadn't been as strict about time frames lately, why should today be different. They couldn't start without us. Waddling back and forth as her she rubbed her belly, she yelled at me continuously to get dressed. When I questioned her uncharacteristic attention to punctuality, she explained that baby shower etiquette ranks right up there with the same requirements for weddings and funerals. I guessed she would know better than me so I let it go.

She correctly noted that I was dragging my feet and I confessed that despite how much I love her and our baby, the thought of sitting around a living room with a group of women cooing over baby clothes and tiny diapers was just not my ideal afternoon.

"Too bad," she said. "Would you miss our wedding or your funeral? No! Then you can't miss our baby shower! And you have to change your shoes." It was lost on me how a few hours spent critiquing baby gifts and drinking punch was that big of a deal. I had thought of the event as a silly tradition that ultimately would just end in my friend's poor husbands having to unload an entire car of gifts when UPS delivering them to our house would have been so much simpler.

Rosalie simply shook her head at my explanation and said, "You will love it. You'll see."

I wanted to ask her what kind of crack she was on and where I could get some, but I knew better than to open my mouth. If I was lucky and I didn't screw up too bad, we'd make it through this quickly and I could go home and enjoy the rest of my afternoon in relative silence with Rosalie. Unless, of course, she was seriously considering the stay-cation idea which was another idea I was totally for. Honestly, anywhere but in a baby shower would be optimum right about now. I can't believe I was being forced to attend at all. It's not like I'm the one that's pregnant. They only need Ro and bam! A party! But, Rosalie wanted me there and if I had learned anything, I had learned a very valuable piece of advice.

_When Mama's happy, we're all happy_.

Once we arrived, it was evident that my stereotype was outdated and shallow. If nothing else, it would give me something to talk about with Alec from birthing class. We spent every Thursday during class breaks discussing the pitfalls of pregnancy and trying not to get caught being obnoxious by our significant others. He was a chill kind of dude. Plus, they already had one other child and the horror stories he told me were funny as hell. I couldn't wait to see what happened with our baby. The old school baby showers that I had seen on television have evolved. I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, all the women were dressed beautifully and the house was decorated perfectly. But the level of organization and thought that had gone into this day would have made NASA envious and I kind of thought that had a lot to do with exactly who planned it.

Alice and Esme had literally thought of everything. There was a cake that someone had spent hours decorating. On one table there were cards numbered 1 through 18, representing the birthdays of the little one. We each picked a year and wrote a message that wouldn't be opened until that particular birthday. On another table were envelopes so that they could go ahead and write their address for the thank-you notes so as to save the future mom the hassle, knowing Rosalie would want to tackle that feat alone. Alice had asked all the guests ahead of time to send in a photo along with a favorite story from childhood or words of advice and she compiled them all into an iBook for Rosalie and I to keep as a souvenir. I had to admit the idea was brilliant!

Once the time came to open gifts, I was so intoxicated with food, punch and hilarious stories of new moms and near baby disasters that I was cooing along with everyone else. The presents were amazing though, but I'm glad we listened to the registry and stayed away from clothes. I thought it was a joke, but apparently you can't stop yourself from getting them when you have a baby to shop for. I guess it was true , however, because everybody brought something. The baby clothes really are freaking cute. And who knew they made a special baby air temperature monitor so that the baby's room stays just right? Surely not me but I'm definitely going to use it.

The house was filled with women of all ages. Some I had known for years and some I met for the first time. The most shocking of course, being my family who I hadn't expected to make it, Esme, and Ro's mother who although she didn't seem too happy about it, held in her distaste for her daughter's benefit. Thank god! There is something truly magical about women of all types and from all backgrounds and life experiences coming together in one place to celebrate and honor the passage into motherhood. I would have sworn that all of this baby prepping was turning me into a sentimentalist.

At one point, when I started to tear up, I noticed that Rosalie had seen it and a look of righteous smugness swept across her face. I chose the card for the baby's 13th birthday and wrote her a message. One day, I am going to tell her about her baby shower and how it reminded me of one of life's most important lessons. Never assume you understand the beauty of something until you have seen it for yourself.


	23. Chapter 23: Slipped Up

**Getting in to Boston from London was a lot easier than leaving Boston for London in my selwar. I guess I was a little too ethnic, I don't know. That's the life of being Punjabi. Sorry, I couldn't afford to foot internet on my flight. They wanted like an extra 500 dollars. It should have been free considering the three delays we had. This new hijab is really a pain and I don't want to be disrespectful, but I may have to forego that altogether when I get to Alexandria. It's about 8:30 my time, so it has to be like 2:30 Boston time. Anyway, I'm posting this in a coffee shop so I will find one in Alexandria to post the next chapter. I liked your reviews so hopefully you like this one. Next stop, Alexandria.-Isis**

**RPOV**

I cringed as I pushed the vacuum across the hardwood floor. I officially have the most cowardly child on the planet. My daughter, who is perfectly protected inside of me, is deathly afraid of the vacuum cleaner. I don't know if it's the sound of the vacuum that startles her or what, but she was currently doing a river dance that would put Irishmen to shame. And as always, whenever things were happening Bee was working. She thought this baby was purposefully avoiding her. She never kicked or moved while Bee was here. But, as soon as she leaves it's a shit storm of mayhem in my stomach. My uterus was probably the size of a watermelon and she was causing my bladder to go haywire. I spent most of my day at work in the bathroom. No joke, every five minutes I was rushing for the restrooms. Poor Jason caught the worse end of it. I was really crabby when I was uncomfortable.

Pushing the vacuum into the laundry closet and flipped the switch on the power. If I couldn't vacuum, I would at least clean something. It had gotten so messy lately. Bee tried to clean up and keep a tidy house. But, her definition of clean and mine were polar opposites. I couldn't do everything, but I needed to do something. I would go crazy if I didn't. I had way too much free time. Things were starting to ease up at work as I got closer and closer to maternity leave. With only four weeks left of work until after the baby arrived, other associates were starting to handle my workload which left my days at work light and almost unnecessary. Home was no different. Bee was constantly waiting on me hand and foot. I don't even remember the last time I made my own dinner.

Twenty-eight weeks and I hate being pregnant. I don't hate my child. I could never hate her. But I hate being pregnant with a fiery passion. I didn't feel like myself and I didn't like it. Sometimes I was fine, other times I wanted to cry. My feet were swollen so badly, I had cankles and my back ached constantly. The baby may be worth the pain and discomfort, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Perhaps the worst part about being pregnant is hearing other people talk about being pregnant. They came up with these sunshine, rainbows, unicorns stories where they each had these glorious pregnancies….and I'm just going to call it. BULLSHIT! This sucks worse than the time I dislocated my knee playing volleyball.

Sweeping didn't last long, and before I knew it, I was sitting in front of the tv with my legs propped up on the coffee table, inhaling baby carrots like chewing was a pleasantry. Twelve weeks and we would have our baby girl. But, until then, I was folding and taking a nap while I could. Rosalie: Zip, Baby Swan: 28.

Bee had called me earlier at work and said we'd been invited to dinner at a co-workers house. As tired and frustrated as I was, I didn't want to be bothered with social gatherings but it seemed important to be, so I held it in.

**BPOV**

When I got home, I unlocked the door to our apartment and saw Rosalie asleep on the couch. She looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake her so I went to take a shower; deciding to wait until I finished. I was working on a time schedule, but I had allotted time for a little lagging, knowing how much Ro had been fretting over her body lately. According to her misguided opinion, she didn't look good in anything she wore these days.

She was a lot more self-conscious now, then she had been in past weeks. She had gained a considerable amount of weight which the doctor assured us was perfectly normal, even when Rosalie looked like she wanted to be sick at the mere thought of what was happening to her. As her stomach grew larger and her hips spread, her slender figure took on a more full shape than she was accustomed to. I understood how she felt, but I honestly thought she was still just as beautiful as she had been, if not more so. It's like she was made to be a mom. Pregnancy fit her so well, at times I found myself wondering why she seems to dislike it so much.

Although, I guess, if a baby was using my bladder as a bounce house, I'd feel some kind of way too. Drying myself off, I dressed in jeans and a tee, I went to the closet to get Rosalie's favorite dress and packed a bag of clothes for her to wear to work the following day. After taking that out to my car, I came back to feel Rocko's bowls and wake Rosalie. I just prayed Rosalie didn't kill me before we could leave this apartment.

When I tapped her shoulder, she reacted by rubbing her face into the pillow at first. It wasn't until I kissed her that she awoke and even then it was with the most hateful glare I could ever have imagined. I asked her how her day was and where she wanted us to go for dinner, but all I got were hmmm's and unintelligible noises that pretty much amounted to me getting the silent treatment since Rosalie wouldn't dignify my questions with a response. Pretty soon, I was standing in the middle of a hurricane as Ro moved around our closet throwing clothes that she wouldn't wear to the floor in frustration, mumbling about my demon child under her breath. Eventually, I gave up and we headed out. Me moderately dressed, and Rosalie in the dress that I chose. I didn't give a shit what she wore at that point, and obviously neither did Ro. I was just ready to leave.

The thirty minute drive to Chevy Chase was quick and I was delighted to see Garcelle as we pulled up. Rosalie was slyly looked at me, but said and I wasn't going to budge. Handing her an envelope, I headed inside telling her to meet up with me when she was ready. The only problem was I wasn't sure she would ever be ready. So much for a leap of faith.

**RPOV**

I COULDN'T BELIEVE HER! Here I am trying to get some sleep before her child kills me via sleep deprivation and she wants to go to some stupid dinner. I understood that she wanted to make a good impression but geez! This is the first time I've slept in days. I stared at her so hard that I nearly stared a hole in the side of her head. God, Bee was really frustrating sometimes and it made me want to just smack her until there was no taste left in her mouth. I wanted sleep and I wanted it….like yesterday.

When we pulled up in front of this house, I was automatically pissed. Garcelle had been trying to get it off the market for years. The previous owners were elderly and went South after retirement. But, they had yet to sell it thinking they would find the right person. Apparently Garcelle ended up being the right person, because as far as I know, she had spent all week talking about closing and renovations at work. I probably wouldn't have given a shit about it, if it hadn't been for the fact that I was the one who wanted it first.

Flipping over the envelope to slide my key under the flap, I noticed the cardstock was a marked stationery with Bee's intials. Not wanting to ruin something so intricately done, I slowly slid the key around careful not to tear the paper. As pissed as I was, I was overtaken by nostalgia. This was the second time I had gotten an envelope from Bee. The first one, which came after our first date, was a list of things that make the perfect first date. Just thinking back to it, made me smile. Opening the letter, I pressed down the crease and scanned my eyes over the elegantly penned words on the page.

_Ro,_

_I remember the first time I called you that, and how cute you were stressing over just how to impress me. I remember later in our relationship when those butterflies had been taken away. When we were an us and everything was perfect. So perfect, in fact, that the few dates we had weren't enough. We snuck away from our friends more times than we could count to spend time with each other never thinking anything could be more right than that. Life, then, was a fairytale._

_But, now, we've got time in. We've had fights, makeups, breakups, headaches and shouting matches. We've fought just as hard as we have loved, although we didn't always fight together or at the same time. This is us. This is who we are and I wouldn't change that for anything in the world. Not even when you're trying to kill me with your heels while I sleep. Life, now, is reality ._

_Years have passed since the day I first met you, and now we have reached another phase in our life together. I couldn't imagine starting a family, loving someone, or fighting so hard with someone I wasn't truly in love with. I am lucky to have found that in you. I'm not perfect and I'm going to mess up. I'll piss you off, and I know we'll scream until we turn blue in the face, but that's our love. We aren't perfect, but we are perfect together. Life, in the future, will be about how you and I brought our fairytale into reality._

_Thank you for a great year and the best gift I could ever ask for, a family of my own._

_Happy anniversary,_

_Bee_

Whipping out my cellphone, I was shocked to see that it was indeed our anniversary. How I had forgotten I don't know. Usually, it was me who had to remind Bee if I planned on seeing her. Otherwise, she'd work straight through it. I never forgot it, given that it was exactly three weeks prior to my birthday. How could I have forgotten? Rushing towards the house, I practically flew into Bee's arms when Garcelle flung open the door. Breathing deeply, I inhaled the scent of Bee's body wash as I cried. I couldn't believe I had forgotten our anniversary and she hadn't even mentioned it. She wasn't mad or anything, she just kept right on hugging me until I was ready to let go.

I rested my head on her shoulder, mortified for embarrassing myself in public. As a slow blush crept across my face, I started to apologize to Garcelle for my sudden outburst. However, I stopped short when I saw my friends standing next to her with tears in their eyes too. Alice, my usually brash friend was fire engine red she was sobbing so hard, while Esme's little sniffles could only be heard slightly. After a chorus of awww's, Bee handed me another envelope.

When I opened it up, there it was. The deed to the house that I had wanted was in my hands and I was never happier in my life. Touring the house, I took in every single room. I was committing it to memory, every nook and crevice, to see how it compared with the vision I once had in my head. So far, my imagination had paled in comparison. But it was one room that floored me for the rest of the night, the nursery.

The polish of the white furniture and the abundance of everything you could possibly think of were too much for me to handle. Leaning back on Bee, I looked up to see a smile planted on her face. Breaking apart, we walked into the room together, her hand grasped firmly in mine. Tracing the stenciling on the wall, I spelled out her name…Kinsley Aria.


	24. Chapter 24: I HATE THAT PILLOW !

**It's really late in Boston right now, but I've finally found adequate internet service. It's still awkward to be in different time zones though. Anyway Simrin and I have set up a writing schedule. Every day from now on, a new chapter will be posted by 8PM EST, unless I fall down with an illness or something, God forbid. I REALLY think my family needs to move closer to the Starbucks in the city so I can use their Wi-Fi. But because of your continued support and my phone company's inability to understand my necessity for a mobile hotspot, I hate you Terrible Mobile, you will be rewarded with three chapters today and tomorrow. Now, to send these off for editing. Until next time, Isis.**

_Isis, I think I just came up with an idea on how to wrap up the next story. Skype me tomorrow 9PM/3AM - Simrin_

**RPOV**

As we wound down and got ready to have our baby, I found myself less and less anxious for the actual child birthing class to be over. I know, most people will laugh about me going to a child birthing class. Women have been giving birth forever without any help, why should I right? Wrong! That might be true if and only if you were positive that the other parent wasn't a total child trapped in an adult body. I feared for Bee and my child. Today is our last day of childbirth class and as usual we are running late. Bee always has to stop and pick up a Sprite, a fact that wasn't escaping my mind anytime soon. I would have to break her soda habit again when my foot could reach her face again. Right now, I was lucky to catch a glimpse of my toes on a good day.

My birthing class had eighteen couples, all of us due in the next few months...and my instructor does one of these every 6 to 8 weeks and they are consistently full. That's a lot of moody women all nestled together in a fairly small area. And we all know that everything gets worse when women get together. In between breathing practice and the following activities we can be seen leaning against our significant others and using them as props while we passed gossip from one person to the next. Of course, I was the furthest along, but the other women enjoyed having someone to question who would give it to them straight. I was good at that if nothing else.

So, if we spent most of our time bored and gossiping why did we go at all? What's the main reason behind the charade?

Them. The idiots that got us all knocked up.

I know, and have known for a long time, most of what we've gone over in this class, but we all pretty much agreed that while our significant others were fine with the reality of giving birth conceptually, they didn't know it all. None of them knew what they was supposed to do and as the weeks passed they started to get a little anxious about what they were meant to be doing come the big day.

And thus, some genius created birthing class and we knew that it was good.

The class went over everything from the anatomy of pregnancy, why we have to pee all the time, why we aren't hungry when the baby gets huge, why we get constipated and everything in between. My girlfriend, scholar and doctor that she is, was an idiot too. I knew she felt enlightened and I could see the little light bulb go off in her head when she saw a picture of the inside of a pregnant person. It was like an automatic OH, NOW I GET IT.

The class even covered all the stages of birth to complications and what would constitute an emergency caesarian section. Meanwhile, the rest of us had fun as we watched birth videos, and we sit around chatting and eating for half an hour in the middle of class. And, of course, the icing on the cake, it gave them something to do besides worry about us all the time. This was our weekly reprieve. Our instructor had literally given them a list of things to do when we go into labor, things I knew Bee would undoubtedly forget because she'd be too busy freaking out to think about it. Still, I can't tell you how much better she felt about it when she discovered that she has "jobs".

Today's class was dealing with complications and what would push your birth out of the realm of "normal" and into emergency surgery. So far, this last class had been the scariest and most uncomfortable of them all. But, it's necessary to know what can go wrong I guess. I can tell you I did NOT enjoy hearing about a retained placenta having to be removed manually and I would happily take a ride to the operating room to have it removed under heavy anesthesia! Bee looked like lightening ran through her when she heard that and it was in that moment that I knew, all the good work the class had done was officially down the drain. She was back to her usual high-strung self and for the rest of this pregnancy, what little there was anyway, I knew I would be under even closer watch. Thanks for nothing!

Later that night, as we sat on the bed, Bee massaged my back, effectively working out the kinks her daughter had caused. Bee had taken to doing this more often now after I'd showered in the evening and to be honest, it was my new favorite thing to do at night. It didn't hurt that I was exhausted after working and going to classes. There was no talking and the pervading silence was so nice I was slowly falling asleep.

**BPOV**

Rose's hair brushed against my neck as her head lulled to the side resting on my shoulder. I didn't want to bother her, but I hadn't said much since we had come back home from childbirth class and I knew she noticed my change in demeanor. It was better for the both of us to address it now than to hold it off and have it blow up later. After hearing that fifty thousand and one times, at some point I decided it was better to just listen and things would go smoother. Or at least that's what I was hoping for. "Rose?"

"Yes?" she responded in an agitated voice and I immediately began to rethink my decision. Maybe it was—no I had to talk to her now. I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't. The disgusting scenes playing over and over in my head would make sure of it.

"I know we've been putting it off, but we need to come up with a birthing plan-" I swallowed hard when she was suddenly wide awake and glaring at me like gum on her shoe. Shit! What the fuck did I do now? Lately, any and everything had been my fault. If she couldn't see her feet to tie her shoes I was getting chewed out for not being more considerate and doing it for her, even when I wasn't home. My Rosalie was on vacation. This pseudo-Ro had major issues and mood swings to match.

I started to considering pulling away from her slightly to protect myself from any possible hits or flying objects that might come my way. Logically, I did the only thing I could think of. I attempted to calm the monster. "Babe, it's going to be okay. It'll be over really quick and we'll have a beautiful baby."

"That's really easy for you to say, you don't have to squeeze something the size of a football, maybe bigger, out of some the size of an apple. And I've watched 27 episodes of a Baby Story in the last two weeks. Don't lie to me. It could take hours, hell it could take days. And, I don't know if you know this, but I'm going to look like shit. Nobody looks good giving birth. Have you seen their faces? This is entirely your fault. You just couldn't control yourself could you?" I seemed to remember the events that led us here slightly different than she did. In all of my memories, she was a more than willing participant in the sexual activities that led to this pregnancy.

"Sorry?" I offered softly. Although I'm fairly certain it was both our faults, I thought that now might not be the best time to mention that if I wanted to live to see the baby in person.

"You should be!" Ro started shouting, revved up for another sparing match. "Oh my god, this is going to hurt like a bitch and I should know I actually watched the video the whole way through, unlike you" Rosalie squealed, "Miracle of Life, my ass! They should rename that video The Near Death Experience!" I rested my hands on her shoulders and waited. It was best to let her get it all out now. In fact, I read somewhere that this was a good thing. Supposedly, it lowered the incidence of postpartum depression or something like that.

Then out of nowhere, she burst of laughing. I was absolutely perplexed and I'm sure it was written all over my face. She had gone from having a panic attack to holding her sides in laughter in like zero seconds flat. The whole thing was kind of creepy.

"I can have the baby here." Ro said in a sort of dreamy voice. Okay I was seriously questioning her sanity now. What the hell?! She had just complained about having to give birth at all, now she wanted me to entertain this ridiculous beyond belief notion. Oh no!

"No way!" I instantly rejected the idea, for beyond obvious reasons "What if something happens and we can't get you to the hospital fast enough. I'm not risking you or our baby for that." I kind of was appalled at her lack of concern for the two of them and our floors. That was bound to be an even messier process than having a baby at the hospital. I'm not saying the floors were perfect but there was no coming back from something like that.

"Bee I'm pregnant, not stupid. I say we have the baby here and that's that." she replied snarkily. Usually, that was my cue to fold and let her have it, but I wasn't backing down on this one.

"It's not gonna happen. No way, no ma'am, sorry wrong number. There are way too many risks and I won't agree to it." It didn't make sense as a joke, it damn sure wouldn't be funny in real life.

"Don't argue with me"

"I'm not arguing, I just don't want you to do it here and that's a good thing, because you aren't." I was putting my foot down. Screw what she wanted right now, it's about what's best for the two of them and having a baby here was furthest down on my list right now. If it happened so by chance I couldn't control that but I wasn't going to let her voluntarily sign us up for that knowing it could do more harm than good.

"We'll see about that." Rosalie said pushing herself up and off the bed to go get her massive body pillow. I hated that pillow so much it was unreal. I'm not sure if she's noticed, but our bed is only so big. And this, coupled with her arbitrary "no pillows on the floor" rule, even when she's not using them, leads to a really crowded situation in Sleepyland. I know for a fact her beloved pillow does not pay us rent. It's not getting screwed over by the debt ceiling either. On more than one occasion I have wanted to yell put that shit on the floor! Her only saving grace is the fact that she needs sleep more than I do. Plus, I could slip away after she was asleep and she wouldn't notice until her bathroom break.

"Fine. We can do whatever you want Madame Natural. We'll have a baby right here in our house, downstairs in the middle of the living room in a giant swimming pool. This is sounding more and more attractive by the minute. Just think, all your friends can see your vagina pop out a baby. Raw and uncensored, baby doesn't that sound like so much fun? I can't wait!"

"Okay, no. That's not okay. Nobody needs to be there but you and Alice. I'd scar Esme for life. I don't want that, she'll never have children. So, we're back to the drawing board."

"Alright, how about we do this at the hospital under the close supervision of doctors and you can forego the epidural and everything. It's still natural just much more safe. Of course, you will still have to take your medications but it seems like a better option to me."

"Okay, I'll consider it." Judging from the disinterested look on her face she wouldn't be considering anything .I'd have to talk her into later. I guess we could go to FireHook tomorrow and have cookies.

I wouldn't expect anything less. Just promise me that wherever, however, we do this, you won't pull a Kourtney and lift Kinsley out yourself. I can't handle that. I will pass out." I begged, cringing at the mental picture I couldn't seem to shake.

"Bee…shut up and turn off your light."

"I love you beautiful."

"I love you too punk; now get your tank head off my pillow." Gotta love that woman even if she is evil. That damn pillow is dying when this is over though.


	25. Chapter 25: Transformative Arguments

**Hahahaha Rosalie killed me last chapter. The funniest thing is that it was loosely based on a real life experience. As always, I am happy to see that you enjoyed it and I will be spending the next several hours today and all day tomorrow to catch up and talk about writing projects with Simrin. We have a Skype date tonight, but she has post one chapter before and one after so I can meet my quota.**

**RPOV**

"Your honor, with all due respect, the facts are the facts; no one can misinterpret what's clearly written there in black and white. The opposing counsel would have you believe that my client is just some lazy housewife who sits on the couch all day eating snack cakes and watching soaps. That's not who Mrs. Clarke is and she deserves to walk away from this marriage knowing she won't be penniless. After all the years of catering to Mr. Clarke's every whim, taking care of their home, and being a great mother to their two children, that's only fair." I said glaring across the room at the idiot Mike Newton, the most moronic attorney I had ever met.

"Yes well be that as it may, Counselor, there is still a deliberation process that has to take place. That being said the court will recess and reconvene in thirty minutes with a verdict." Judge Alistair responded rubbing his hand across his face. I knew we would win. We had to win. I had to go out with a bang, Twelve weeks was a long time to be out of work. I had been working full-time since I was twenty. There was no way I could just let him have this one and be satisfied with myself.

Mrs. Clarke looked distraught over the whole ordeal and I could only imagine how she felt. To devote your life to someone and end up here is a tough blow. That's especially true when you put your own dreams on hold to help further theirs. It was truly sad, but unfortunately, it's a rather common story. I let her have a moment to collect her bearings and stepped off to the side to call Bee.

"Hello, George Washington University Hospital. Dr. Isabella Swan, speaking."

"Doctor, how nice to hear your voice. You know, your incredibly gorgeous and ridiculously pregnant girlfriend was wondering what time you'd be coming home tonight."

"Hey Rosie, I'm nearly finished here. So far it looks like I'll be home by dinner time. I'll call you if something changes. How's court going?"

"Ughh, Mike's opposing, other than that, it's great I think we'll get what we're asking for."

"That's great Ro. So all in all, it's a good last day, huh?"

"Yeah. Great. I'll see you at home. It's time to go back in." I lied trying to maintain the right pitch in my voice. I had learned my tells long ago and a wavering voice was the first clue.

She just had to go and mention it didn't she? I was really emotional about leaving work for so long. I was so in love with my job that anytime spent not doing it made me upset. The idea of just sitting around my house for days upon days waiting for Kinsley to show up was not appealing at all. I'd rather work all the way up until the second I went into labor. At least I wouldn't waste away from boredom. Of course, I told Bee how I felt about it but she put her foot down and got everybody to behind her on it. I was under unofficial Secret Service surveillance already and I wasn't even president yet….just kidding, at least about the president part.

This being home thing got me thinking about all the extra time I would have on my hands more than I expected sometimes and I ended up panicking. This was really final. Like, this was it. I was about to give birth to a person. From something the size of a pea, and if Bee's big head was any judge, my poor daughter may be cursed with a watermelon head. My body will never be the same again. Fucking Kiegel exercises would be pointless for the kind of damage that was about to happen to me. Only five to eight weeks until Baby day and to be honest if she could just ball up and not move around too much, I was totally cool with staying pregnant. There was a part of me that was sad to leave work behind and a part of me that couldn't wait to walk out and forget about work for a year. But I think most of all I was scared because I knew things would change once I started maternity leave. Even though my job is secure until I return next year, it won't be the same when I go back. I will have a child to think about and I will have to juggle my career and my family. It's all very daunting.

Just like I suspected, we ended up winning the case and after congratulating my client, I headed back to my office, nearly in tears. I wasn't really fond of crying in front of my coworkers though I pulled myself together in the cab. Jason met me at the lobby to carry my things, only he made no efforts to hide his tears. He was weeping mess the entire elevator ride and although I didn't say it, I would definitely miss having him around. He was one of the better parts of working in this office.

I arrived at my office and the first thing I noticed was that my desk was covered in decorations and quite a few small gifts. After lunch, my boss gathered at least one-fourth of everyone in the firm to present me with a huge card, a load of gifts and a massive flower arrangement! I was shocked and as I opened the presents in front of about 40 people. I got baby clothes, stuffed animals, baby cutlery & plates, a piggy bank, and a charm bracelet. I felt a little embarrassed opening presents in front of a big group of people. It felt like I was 10 years-old opening birthday a bunch of gifts in front of my school friends, but it was over quickly and everyone was really nice. I was truly touched with the effort everyone went to for me. Even Kinsley's foot made an appearance once or twice.

At the end of the day, I kept feeling like I had things to do or that I was forgetting something vital, but my boss made sure I left on time and ushered me out the door with a big wave. I promised to visit the with the baby at some point once I have figured out the whole motherhood thing. Alice helped me load all my things into her trunk and I stared out the window the entire ride home, choosing not to address my farewell in an attempt to make it less real. Stepping into the house, Rocko met me at the door with a confused expression. I changed my clothes turned the tv on to TLC while I ate a bowl of strawberries. Now the only thing left to do was to wait until the baby comes….and try not to go insane.

**BPOV**

Eight weeks until the Kinsley makes her grand entrance into the world. Even though in reality that translated to five to eight more weeks depending on when she decides it's time. So naturally, my mother was driving me up a wall about having things prepared. I was wondering how much more prepared I could get. Between Ro and our friends, we had more than enough stuff. All I had to worry about was surviving this experience with all my limbs and other appendages. Every time Mommyzilla, as we were all affectionately referring to her, was angry she threated to chop of another part of me. So far, all I was left with was a foot and my head. It was getting real at our house. I knew Rosalie was pissed about having to leave work. I suppose if I had been in her place I would be too. I really felt bad for leaving her own devices and possible medical emergencies but I felt better with her at home at this point in her pregnancy. At least I knew where she was then. It really was the only solution.

This pregnancy was taking its toll on me too. Or at least my conscience anyway. Now that I knew I was having a daughter and it was fast approaching, it was changing how I felt about women in general. More specifically, Rosalie. I thought I felt bad about how I had treated her in the past, but it really changed my entire perspective now. If somebody ever did those things to my daughter I would kill them and make it look like an accident. I couldn't even begin to understand how bad what I had done was before, now it was like I was disgusted with myself. But throughout all of this, I fostered a new respect for my girlfriend that was stronger than ever before. I worshiped the ground she walked on.

As I opened the door to our house all I heard was gabbing, and I knew gossip was rare form tonight. Leaning against the wall outside the kitchen I listened in to the conversation in the next room laughing at the things they chose to discuss when we weren't around. It was like an unspoken rule that whatever happened between us in our relationships all of our friends would know because neither of those women could hold water. I loved them but they were the Queens of Gossip, like walking, talking tabloids.

"Here's what I don't get, if they're changing clothes and the laundry basket is less than five feet away why do they leave it on the floor? What's the point?" Alice asked as pots banged away in our kitchen.

"Carlisle doesn't do that. He's a perfect gentleman." Esme interjected sounding like a lovesick puppy almost making me puke.

"Esme, sweetie, I'm going to say this nicely-"

"Shut up!" Alice yelled cutting Rosalie off and I couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Tonight would be no different than ever other Friday. It would definitely be full of playful banter and accusatory glances.

"What?"

"Carlisle doesn't count. Get some years behind you and watch what happens. I don't give a shit if he's the most refined fucking man on the planet, those clothes will end up on the floor. Apparently, you don't even have to be a man. Ask Bee and Victoria. They know all about it." Alice said attempting to whisper and failing miserably.

"True, but we've changed too. Remember when you used to wake up before Victoria to do your hair and reapply your makeup. Now you wake up with a nest and don't even care. I don't go the gym nearly as much as I used to anymore. And Ali, could you watch your language, please?"

"Oh sh—snap, sorry Kinsley, sorry Ro. Seriously though Esme that's just how it is. Pretty soon all the things you used to smile at are going to make you want to punch something. I used to think it was so cute the way Victoria got riled up over tennis matches. Now, I barricade myself upstairs and wait it out. My nerves can't handle that."

"Yeah, I guess you guys are right. How did we get on this subject anyway?" I took that as my cue to make my presence known. Walking into the kitchen, I spotted Rosalie at the counter and ran over to sneak a kiss before she noticed I was there. At first she glared at me, then giggled. I can only guess that she was embarrassed by Esme and Alice's fake disgust. Excusing myself, I went to the living room to catch the end of an episode of criminal minds with Carlisle and Victoria. Pretty soon, we were being called in to help and dinner was served.

Dinner went smoothly and as Rosalie lay in bed that night, with me hanging partially off the edge, we talked about our day. Rosalie was still not happy with the idea of having time off for so long, but she had sincerely had fun tonight with our friends. I couldn't think of any other way to make her happy so I decided that in order to get through these next few weeks, I would need my team.


	26. Chapter 26: Baby Brain

**Hi guys! Isis is kind of angry right now that she missed the Harry Potter Weekend, but she does love your reviews and said to tell you guys you're awesome. Home stretch, the story is winding down. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it and I have the next three to post tomorrow. Until then review and Isis will eventually get over this tantrum and wrap up the story.**

**RPOV**

The big 35-35 has passed. I'm officially 35 weeks and I have 32 days left until my due date. It's the end of the landmark week and its nothing to brag about. If Kinsley knew what was good for her she wouldn't make me wait out the next five weeks. Two or three was perfectly acceptable. Over the last three weeks, I had become good friends with Braxton. You may know him, most people call him Braxton Hicks and he is notorious for fucked up reality checks at the worst possible time. Like when I was sleeping, eating, or my favorite during my bathroom breaks at three in the morning. I am officially in the woe is me phase of pregnancy.

Apparently I am now in the home stretch, thank goodness. And the fact that my stomach is finally in proportion to the rest of my body must be causing other people pain too because this past week, the comments I have gotten alone were enough for me to plant my fist in somebody's ugly face. If I heard one more "Any day now?", "Girl you look like you're about to pop!", or "Wow, I don't think you're going to make it to your due date!" I was going to go off.

Yeah, I can see my humongous stomach...AND I can feel it! It adds some extra weight believe it or not! I really hope I don't make it that long and any day now would be great thanks. But the one that just put the icing on my I HATE YOU cake, was uttered by my own mother. Just this morning, less than fifteen minutes after I told her I could not sleep. She had the audacity to open her mouth and say "Rose, you better get all the sleep you can now. Once the baby comes sleep will be the stuff of dreams." Ahhhhhhh! It made my blood boil to no end.

First of all, while I understand that she was doing it from a good place in her abandoned heart, it was a moot point. For someone who had children before, you would think she understood that I hadn't actually slept in the last six weeks anyway. What's another year or two? Secondly, I almost certain that she hadn't done much raising of either of her children so she was only passing along advice for the benefit of showing false concern. Still, even this wasn't the worse of it. No, pregnancy at this point sucked enough without outside interference.

Good news is... I saved a ton of money by switching to Geico, not really. Car insurance for the car I can't even drive for another two months is still high as hell. But, I think he has moved off my back nerves enough to let that nerve get almost healed! Praise the Lord. I could write a song. It's still a bit uncomfortable, but nowhere near the pins and needles pain I was in last week or the weeks before. I have crazy heartburn & quite a few other unpleasant happenings. I am still swelling, so I know I must retain an epic amount of water. In general, I am worn out!

Seriously though, this week of pregnancy was another uncomfortable one, but what else is new? I did have another doctor's visit and, like usual, everything is going according to plan. My weekly visits start next week, where we'll find out how things are, or aren't, progressing. The doctor said that depending on what's going on, we might have an idea if Iris will be a 38 – 39 week baby or more like a 39 – 40 week baby. I asked if I could vote for the first option but so far no dice.

Of course I know that nothing is certain, so I'll try not to go in with any expectations. I'm aware that she could very well be late too, but I'm not opposed to being induced around my due date and it seems like my doctor isn't either.

At the visit, I once again expressed my concern about having a big baby, a growing worry within the last few weeks. So she felt around on my stomach for a bit. She seemed pretty sure that the baby was still head down and that she doesn't seem big, but pretty average in size. In fact, she guessed that she might be about 7 pounds at 40 weeks. That was good to hear, but I still have my doubts and I damn sure don't want to drag this out for five more weeks.

Even though things are getting more uncomfortable by the day, at least the weather has started to drift into the true summer weather. The sticky hot that makes you want to stay inside. At least I have a reason to stay in now. It's too hot to move outside. The warmer temperatures are helping a lot though, especially mentally. I've been longing for summer all year, knowing that's when Kinsley will come. It's here and soon, by will or force, she will be too.

**BPOV**

You know what I miss…sleep. The good quality sleep that left that left you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. Now, I was sleeping in my office on a regular basis. My desk was so comfortable when I was exhausted. It was a shame I hadn't noticed it before. The first night with a minimum of sleep wasn't bad, the second was a little jarring, but after a week, I was ready for a vacation that was comprised solely of sleep and sleep alone. Rosalie seemed totally unfazed by it all. And it made sense, she'd had months of virtual sleeplessness or sleeping issues. This was probably a cake walk for her. If anyone but Garcelle had been my boss, I'd probably be fired by now. But I didn't have a lot to do and for the most part the other doctors were more than willing to pick up my slack like I had done for most of them on several occasions.

When I made it home that night after picking up Rosalie's special order of pasta from Esme's house, all the lights were off and since I knew she couldn't possibly be sick, I went to her favorite room to check on her. The Bathroom. I don't know what it was or why, but she was addicted to baths now. Every morning before I went to work she wanted to bathe, again before dinner, and again after her midnight bathroom break. She claimed that she felt disgusting all the time and I guess she wasn't lying because in the ten minute baths, she would attempt to scrub her skin off. The only issue is that she always complained during the night if I didn't get up to help her out of the tub.

Thus, we have my sleeping dilemma. I was having a lapse in judgment last week and I forbade her to get in or out of our tub without me present after what was almost a rather nasty fall. To say I was traumatized was the understatement of the century. Sitting Rosalie's food on the bedside table, I headed in the bathroom and grabbed the timer on the counter. After Ro got in, I started the timer and gave her a moment to settle before I broke the silence.

"Hey Ro, how was it today?" I said sticking my finger in the water to test the temperature, careful not to touch Rosalie. She was banned to me until further notice, something I wasn't at all pleased with but she was uncomfortable already. Far be it from me to make it worse by setting her off.

"Fine, nothing out of the ordinary. Your mom called again and we talked for a while. Alice came over and washed my hair earlier and we watched Ellen and Divorce Court."

"That sounds fun. What did mom say?"

"She'll be here in a few weeks to help with the baby. I don't think I'll need it but I'm not opposed to it. I have sleep I need to catch up on once your daughter is out of me."

"Why is she always my daughter when something's wrong or you don't feel well."

"That's the breaks. You have the baby, you get the privilege."

"Five minutes."

"Zero minutes. I have to pee, BADLY! Help me out, help me out!" I pulled her up and helped her out as fast as possible and let out the water. Her little waddle was so cute and I found it funny that the only change to her body was baby bump. She was still tall and slender with curves for days. Of course, convincing her of this was a challenge I constantly battled with. This whole thing was messing with me too, I had gained three pounds, which was no big deal in comparison but it was definitely a phenomenon. Going back to the bedroom, I pulled out my duffle bag and began to pack the things I would need for my week away. Folding a few shirts and tossing in deodorant and the like, I moved around the closet trying to find everything.

"What are you doing?" Rosalie called from the door.

"Packing to go out of town. Progeria conference, we talked about it a few days ago. Jasper's coming to stay with you, been planned since last year's conference, remember?"

"Funny you should mention it; NO I don't remember a word of that conversation." I do not believe this right now. I would turn around, but I wasn't allowed to see Ro without clothes so I would just have to wait to finish this conversation after my shower. Tossing my sneakers in my bag, I grabbed my towel and went to the bathroom to shower in peace. When I got out, I swung the door open only to find my in front of the door and Rosalie sitting the bed eating her pasta out of the huge container Esme packed it in. Well so much for peace.

"Look, Ro, I'm sorry but I did remind you. I don't know what you want me to do about this. I can't change the dates."

"You're going to miss the appointment next week you ass, excuse your mommy Kinsley. I'm just a little upset right now. You are so inconsiderate!" Rosalie said closing the top on the container and sitting it on her bedside table.

"Alright, I hear you Rosalie. I understand. I'll see you in the morning." I said heading out of the room and downstairs towards the couch.

"Bee! Bee, wait! I don't want to be alone right now. Please stay here with me tonight. I don't feel good. I'm so tired and sore and scared. I don't want anything to happen while you're gone. I need you here. I can't do this without you. What if something changes while you're gone?" I hadn't really considered how Rosalie would feel about it. In fact, when we discussed it a few days ago, she seemed more than ready to get rid of me. Apparently things had changed again, nothing new there.

"I wish I could make it better babe, don't worry you'll be okay. I promise." I whispered, feeling like an ass for leaving her this close to the due date. I shouldn't have agreed to this.

"When are you coming back?"

"Next Sunday, but I can stay here with you, if that's what you want. If it'll make you feel better I'll stay." I'm sure Garcelle would understand even though I was sure asking a lot of her lately.

"No, go. You're right, we'll be fine."

"Just make sure my favorite ladies are okay and I'll be home soon." I said lying next to Rosalie in bed, trying to fall asleep.

The next morning was a mess of tears and attempts at reassurance. Jasper had to nearly pull Rosalie off of me when she started weeping into my shirt. It tugged at my heart strings and it made me want to stay but I had to go now. The entire way to the conference, I sat on the plane staring out the window thinking of Rosalie and how lucky I was to have her in my life. Fights, kisses, baby brain and all.


	27. Chapter 27: Mama Bird

**A few more chapters then bam! The end. I'm so so sad to end this story now. When I wrote it, I was perfectly fine with letting this be it but now I'm really going to miss typing and revisiting this story. But, I suppose all great things must come to an end at some point. I'm still vacationing and beginning the writing process for my next story. So far, I have a back log of five notebooks worth of writing. I want to finish this new one by fall. Here's hoping. Your reviews as always are amazing and I hope you like this one. -Isis**

**RPOV**

Here I am just a couple of days past 37 weeks pregnant! Yes, I am happy because if we go now, it's actually okay for Kinsley to come out of her little "cocoon of comfort". Bee and I both thought we were going to head to the hospital on Wednesday morning after a full night of contractions. Starting at 1:00 AM until 5:00 AM I was awake with cramping, front and back. The first hour of the contractions were medium strength and timed anywhere from 3 minutes to 10 minutes apart. After that, they spaced out and became milder. Finally, after just 10 minutes total of sleep that night between 4:10 and 4:20 AM, I decided to get myself into the shower at 5:00AM and prepare to head to the hospital. But, yeah, the contractions stopped and here I am four days later still waiting for Kinsley to make up her mind.

Everybody was pissed that night. They were all anxious to see the baby and ready for it to happen. Alice even left her house in her pajamas, and nothing happened. For the last few days, everybody has had their phones fully charged and ready to go. The baby bag has been packed and repacked by Bee who is a nervous wreck right now, and even Miss Sue is ready to see her newest grandchild and she hasn't been here more than a few hours. Aside from baby hiccups, tightness, and a lot of uncomfortable and sporadic contractions we still aren't any closer to Baby Day.

There are other definite signs of early labor, though, so I could go any day. But, I'm trying not to think about it because then the days will certainly DRAG on and on. Right now, I'm sure our baby will have a sense of humor and decide to go full force right into her due date instead. I really and sincerely hope not though!

I had my second check-up by my obstetrician on Monday. At my first check-up last week while Bee was away, I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. Monday I was 2cm dilated, still 50% effaced. Next appointment is this Monday, so we'll see if I've progressed any more. Sometimes I wish I didn't know and labor would just happen. Why can't we just jump in all at once and have the dilation lead straight to labor? Because my daughter will no doubt be as stubborn as us. I had the obstetrician check up and told the doctor that I felt like the baby was coming at any time. She checked me and said "Oh no, you're nowhere near ready." Talk about a party pooper! Worse news I have gotten all week.

My energy was definitely not where I wanted it to be. I think because I was expecting to have the baby this week, I have been less motivated to do anything! So, I've been taking it easy. The weather has warmed up, which isn't helping because I'm hot all. the. time. Right now I'm stripped down to a tank-top and shorts, no shoes, no socks with the air conditioner blasting and the ceiling fan on full speed. I am sweating like a pig all the time. It's gotten so bad that Bee washes our bed sheets every day.

Thanks to pregnancy, I'm way heavier than I was when I started and it really showed. So far I've gained a total of 25 pounds! My face was fat and my poor body would need the help of all the personal trainers in the D.C. metro area. The baby is feeling bigger this week, but I think I'm going to guess she'll come out at 7 lb 8 oz. Unless of course she decides to stick around until the end then I am in deep shit pushing out an eight pound baby. Which, of course, would mean that breathing is even more of a struggle than it already is at this point?

So, I have been craving Mexican for the last few days, but I am not craving the heartburn that will undoubtedly come along with it. At this point, I'm not exactly hungry anyway. I want a lot of things until I have it or smell it and then I'm totally turned off. Right now, ice chips and pineapples were my best friends. I just don't know how I could have made it through this last week without all the pineapple I've been nibbling on. But considering the fact that our refrigerator has to actually hold things besides pineapples to nourish my girlfriend, I tried to curve that a bit.

Which brings me to Bee, my former asshole turned awesome and sweet girlfriend who has made ten trips to Harris Teeter for food and everything else I could think of during the last few days. I was really running her ragged and she didn't even complain once. When this was all over, I would have to treat her to something especially nice. I had seriously been slacking on the compliments lately. But, this week has been a lot more introspective than the rest and I have felt the need to share my love with everybody. Mommymode had hit full force and I was nurturing everybody, which came in handy during Esme's mental breakdown yesterday over the wrong fabric swatches.

For now, we were all just waiting on bated breath for the soccer star inside of me to make her appearance so we could all get some sleep and make it through a meal without pineapples.

**BPOV**

After a long day at work and a few calls from Ro about the baby, I was ready to go home and fall into the bed. The only problem was when I made it home; I could hardly make it through the front door. I made it no further than five steps before I was greeted by a barking Rocko and Rosalie sitting on the floor surrounded by clutter. The sight was something I was definitely not prepared for nor did I want to deal with getting her up off of the floor right now, which I knew I would have to in a few minutes anyway. Making my way to the kitchen I said hello to my mother who was busy chopping pineapples for Rosalie to notice that a Mommyzilla Devil has demolished the house.

Picking up a chair, I carried it back to foyer to Rosalie and helped her off the floor. Just as I suspected, less than ten minutes later we were headed towards the bathroom. As soon as she was finished she went back to cleaning the closet feverishly. I left her to it knowing there was nothing inside that she couldn't reach and/or hurt herself on. She had been through practically every other room in our house already claiming that it was filthy. In reality, she didn't realize what we all knew. Even Alice, the least interested in the process of pregnancy, knew a serious case of nesting when she saw it. It was all a matter of a few days now anyway and we all knew our resident perfectionist would go into hyper drive.

While Rosalie was convinced that the road to labor wasn't progressing fast enough, I wasn't totally convinced the the big moment we were all waiting for isn't imminent. I had spent the last two nights documenting evidence to the contrary. All I was waiting on was a water break and we were in the home stretch. My bet was on the next three days. Victoria put money on next Friday and if Kinsley loved me she would pop out long before that.

Over the last few nights, we'd walked around the outside of our house every night after dinner to try and push this ting further along. I wasn't above anything that gave me an edge. I was almost ready to go out and by that Mexican food I was hearing out every hour on the hour from Rosalie. Hey, it could work. It was wrong to bet on a baby, but it was wrong of the baby to keep us in suspense too. Still not all of this up and down rollercoaster like process had been bad. Even the events led up to it are now fond remembrances because I knew that soon I would have a little part of me here in our home.

I have this renewed bond and intense love for my family. I find myself daydreaming even more about adventures we will take together, projects we can take on, our little family of three. I am so anxious to watch Rosalie grow into the role of mom, she is such a tender heart, I can't think of a more fitting place for her to be. I am trying to mentally prep myself, because I know that I am going to cry, probably a lot, watching the two of them together, seeing her meet Kinsley for the first time, her trying to help me stop embarrassing myself as much as she can. She is so eager to teach her everything she knows, to show Kinsley how much she already loves her. The depth of unconditional commitment to her, before he is even here, is really beautiful.

I am excited to see Rosalie with a little girl, to witness their growing together, that unique mother-daughter dynamic. I am dying to see if she will look like Rosalie, or take more after me. I will never forget the falling-in-love-all-over-again feeling of watching Rosalie when we went into see the doctor's these days, feelings I'm sure I'll still get when I watch them together. I am anxious to see how our everyday life shifts and changes, as we adjust to life with a child. I'm interested to see how and if it will change the dynamic of our relationship strengthen and reinforce the deep bond that we have because at this point nothing could break it.

But even I have gone soft and bonded with our daughter in ways I never expected. Much to the amusement of my childless best friends, I spend a great amount of time reading and talking to Kinsley while Rosalie catnaps, a fun tidbit she has yet to notice and one I plan to continue once she is born. I complain about sleep a lot these days but I would much rather be sleepy than miss out on that uninterrupted time with my second favorite girl. Of course, she is second only to her mother, although Kins is making a quick ascension, and may soon beat Rosalie for the number one spot. I really enjoy those moments because unlike Ro who can't go without feeling her move or hiccup, everything I feel is second hand. This is my very first bond with her and if I could I would sing to her. But, unfortunately for me, I sounded like a tone death walrus. That's not something I want to subject her to.

I yearn for the snuggly, grunting, warm, heavenly-smelling body of a squishy newborn to be placed in my arms at the end of this. I want to be able to take that deep breath and feel like we successfully made it through this pregnancy without anything going wrong. I want all of those beautiful, blissful, soul-soaring moments where you couldn't feel any more complete or happy than you do at that exact moment. I made this. WE made this beautiful kid that will one day be a young woman with a family of her own. It's amazing how babies make you realize that all the things your own parents once said, suddenly start to make sense, like it's the wisest thing you have ever heard in your life. It was an incredible thing really.

Going to the kitchen, I pulled up a chair and sat next to my mother while chopping more pineapples. I think I finally understood what it meant to be totally content in life and for the first time in my life, it had everything to do with the people I share it with and not what I had accomplished. Now, if only my little Ladybug could come and share in it with me.


	28. Chapter 28: Get Out, Leave!

******* I'm warning you guys right now, this chapter is GRAPHIC, not in a necessarily good way either, and if you can't deal you may want to skip to the next chapter where things are a bit more settled, at least not as intense but totally related to this chapter. If you choose to read it, you are at your own discretion, but now I feel better for warning you. I can't change the story. But, hopefully this will help*********

**RPOV**

"OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD. Okay you can do this Rosalie. You can do this. You can do this. Shit. I CAN NOT DO THIS. I AM NOT STRONG! I WANT DRUGS AND IT BETTER BE THE STRONGEST ONES YOU HAVE!" I shouted in between bouts of trying to encourage myself. I love Kinsley, but that natural thing was far too overrated. Dope me up!

About five hours ago, I got up to pee and discovered traces of blood. When but in the ninth month of pregnancy is blood on the toilet paper a cause for joy for any woman? It was like Christmas morning! Or maybe even all of them at once, but I knew not to get too happy about something that could very well be days away with my luck. Still, I definitely had to shower before I could do anything else. Dressed in a new gown, I went wake Miss Sue for tea. I would have let her sleep but she's practically ordered me to wake her the moment my day started. Considering the most recent happening, there was no way I was going to go back to sleep.

I started having contractions, but nothing so heavy that they might not just go away. I told Miss Sue what happened and we called the midwife on call who instructed me to just keep an eye on what was happening and monitor my contractions. She said I should be fine unless I started getting contractions that were 5 minutes apart, lasting for 1 minute, for at least 1 hour. Basically, the same "511 rule" that I had learned in birthing class. No new information to help with the fact that I was going through the worst case of cramps I had ever experienced in my life and that is saying a lot because my life sucked as a teenager.

We relaxed and snacked and watched TV shows for a while. I was having a few contractions spaced far apart, but they weren't that bad. Sure, I had to stand up and sway through each one, but I was back to myself in between each contraction. But then something kicked in and I felt like I needed to be ready to go to the hospital. Maternal instinct or whatever you want to call it, it was strong as fuck. So strong in fact, that I purposefully cried wolf early to wake my still sleeping girlfriend. In the time it took Bee to haphazardly through on jeans and change her shirt, I was dead in the thick of it all. We had officially driven into Contraction City and I was the very agitated, pained Mayor.

Miss Sue took the cue and called everybody, suddenly we were all on high alert and ready for show time. Alice's annoyingly high pitched squeals had to be handled by Bee as it was much too early and painful for me to share in her apparent enthusiasm. Half an hour into the contractions they were only five minutes apart. I know what you're thinking. "What? That closeness of contractions generally takes hours and hours, especially with first babies." Well yeah, you're probably right but if God wanted to smile upon me for my suffering who was I to deny him?

We knew from birthing classes and our midwives the importance of the elusive 5-1-1 rule. Usually, when women came into the hospital too early it stalled their labor because their bodies weren't as relaxed as they would be at home or some bullshit like that. But before an hour of the intense contractions could even pass, my contractions were just two minutes apart. I told Bee I felt the baby's head bearing down and I wanted to go to the hospital now, with a capital fucking N! That was it, the 5-1-1 rule was so fucking far out the window for us now, it wasn't even funny. We called the midwife and rushed to the hospital as fast we could, followed closely by our families and friends. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the waiting room was filled by us alone. Which led us here, me miserable and Bee groggy attempting to comfort me and failing. If she really wanted to comfort me she would find the doctor with the medicine and get him to knock me out until this was over.

They said I was too far along for medication, though. So, naturally, I would have to sacrifice my vocal cords and my body to bring this kid into the world, _naturally. _Since they said it wouldn't be much longer, I sent Bee for Alice and ice before I died from heat stroke. Of course, as soon as the door was closed, I felt the wave of another contraction hit. I did not want to be on my back. This shit was uncomfortable enough as it was. When Bee walked in to the triage room a few moments later I was on my hands and knees, yelling. The contraction subsided, much to the relief of my terrified best friend who looked only a short step away from fainting. Within a minute or less later, another wave hit, but this was different, my brain turned off and my instincts kicked into full gear.

Back in my original position, at the insistence of Alice, I yelled at Bee to get someone. I was going to push now. I didn't give two shits about hospital protocol anymore. She wanted out and I wanted it to stop. I was ready to push.

**BPOV**

Somehow I got the distinct vibe that the triage nurses thought I was giving them a load of shit about the very real happening inside that tiny room, where my very pregnant girlfriend was slowly and painfully suffering through childbirth without any nurses or midwifes. I felt the urge to punch somebody in the face, but I kind of felt like it wouldn't produce the desired outcome.

"Excuse me! I work here and I seriously don't want to have to report this, which I still might do anyway. I understand that it's nearly the end of your shift and you're tired. Now, will you please listen to me? My girlfriend is giving birth; it would be nice if somebody took this seriously,"

"Fine Doctor, lead the way." The midwife responded exasperated and huffy. If that bitch knew was good for her she would check herself before she went into that room. Rosalie was already in pain and I was pissed. Now was definitely not the time for her stink attitude.

Pretty soon, we were back to Rosalie and a passed out Alice. Luckily, I came prepared with smelling salts and she was up in no time. The nurse had her step out while she checked Rosalie and to nobody's surprise but hers, we had gone from four cm at check in to ten in a matter of less than an hour. She really was ready to push. Fully dilated plus two, that's more than ready actually. The trip to labor and delivery was a breeze but I don't think I was adequately prepared for what would happen when we got there though because Rosalie and Alice were both screaming their heads off in pain. Rosalie, of course, because she was having a baby, and Alice because Ro had both of our hands in a death grip. I was pretty sure I my hand was broken. It went from hurting to a disturbing, worrisome numb.

"Why don't you just close your legs, you little nasty. That's what landed you here." Alice said trying to snatch her hand back, yelling at Ro. If I wasn't focused on getting the baby out I might have laughed.

"THEY DON'T OWWWWW CLOSE YOU IDIOT SHIT GET IT OUT!" Ro screamed at Alice and the nurses. Mommyzilla was definitely in full affect.

Alice on one side and I on the other, we watched as they put her feet in the stirrups and held each of her legs. The two of us exchanged glances that said it all. Alice wouldn't look down there and I wouldn't ask her to. It was a good compromise and we stuck to it until the baby crowned. I swore I had never heard Rosalie scream so loud before in my life. And that's when Alice made her first mistake. She looked. Between Rosalie's one liner scream, a big long stream of "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" and Alice, I could barely concentrate on anything, let alone the baby's head.

"EWWWWWWWWWWWW! Get me out of here. This is so wrong. Ughhhhhh, why would you make her go through this?! You are disgusting!" Alice said trying to pull away and escape.

"Would you shut the hell up and hold her leg please. She doesn't want to do this either. Just do your job and be happy. I told you not to look anyway!" I shouted.

Crowning she was indeed, you could see all the blonde hair on the baby's head and I was sure that, now that I had looked, I would never feel quite the same way about my once favorite place. Something about seeing a baby come out of it doesn't do it for me. It's been a while, but I was seriously considering extending that sex week period. But, while I was lost in thought, we caught a snag. Rosalie decided that she was done pushing. She could go no further. Gritting her teeth through the contractions, she refused to push and I couldn't get through to her and then it dawned on me.

"Ro, listen up, we have to get that baby out of there." Rosalie shook her head back and forth furiously while holding back her screams and trying not to push as was instinct.

"No? But what about your dress?" I said egging her on.

"Dddddress" she stuttered out through her contraction.

"Your sexy red one that makes you look all yummy. You know that one? Don't you want to wear it again?" I smirked winking at her. All of a sudden I saw some renewed hope.

"I thought so .If you push we can start working on it after the baby is here."

And thus, we had action. On the next contraction Ro pushed with all she had and Alice finally grasped her job and started encouraging her to push. At one point she even song a little Salt and Pepa, making the hospital staff laugh a little. Three pushes later we were in the clear. Rosalie through her head back in defeat as a shrill cry sounded through the room. Kinsley was finally here. Cutting the cord, I was in total awe as she rested on Ro's chest and Ro leaned down to kiss her head before they took her away. I seriously think that is something that only a mother can do, but I was conflicted on that assessment. Even if she had come out of me, I would not kiss her until she smelled like Johnson's baby wash.

I watched as the staff rushed her off to be cleaned off and weighed. I waited patiently for her to return. Rosalie looked exhausted but I was so proud of her. I don't think I could have made it through this in one piece. Once the baby was cleaned up and the afterbirth was delivered, the nurses relocated Rosalie to a recovery room and I went off to tell the good news. When I say the entire clan was there, it was everybody and I do mean everybody. As soon as I walked in, the all hopped up,it was like the ripple effect.

"Well, you guys I don't know what you had planned for today but….." I said purposefully trailing.

"This better not be a false alarm, I cancelled a meeting with the Plaza." Esme said flopping down on the nearest chair.

"AS I WAS SAYING, if you'd like to meet our daughter you'll have to wait. But only for an hour, she's feeding right now." The shouts of joy could be heard loud and clear and it felt good to have everybody here to share in the moment with us.

"Tell us about her" My mother and Rosalie's demanded at the same time.

"Her name is Kinsley Aria Swan. 7 pounds 11 ounces 18 inches long. Full head of beautiful blonde hair, blue eyes a mini-Rosalie through and through. She's wrinkly and cute and we love her." I said proudly.

"We have a granddaughter Marcus, can you believe it?" Didyme said tears in her eyes.

"Yes ,you do and I would love it if you go see your daughter first. She misses you, Mrs. Hale." I said. Maybe I shouldn't interject myself in family business but this baby changed things. We needed to get along and I wasn't bringing my child up in a dysfunctional family. I still didn't like her, but I could build the bridge. I damn sure wouldn't lead her across though.

An hour later, Didyme and the rest of the crew took turns meeting the focus of all our attention for the last nine months. Rosalie was tired but she made sure to stay awake long to reassure everybody that she was a happy, healthy, well-adjusted Mommy now that the Zilla had been tamed. Soon though, her eyelids started to droop and she fell asleep watching Kinsley grasp her finger. She was so easily fascinated by the little person in her arms it wasn't hard to keep her entertained.

That night Kinsley spent the night in the nursery and in my excitement to spend time with her in person, I visited her there to feed her dinner and talk the night away. It was so awkward to know that the little baby I spent time talking to last night was actually here this quickly but I couldn't be happier about that.

"The story of your name is quiet simple really. Everybody's there, even me. K is for Aunt Kate who has to be first at everything, please try and remember that. I is for Isabella but don't you ever call me that. N is for Natalie, your Aunt Tanya's middle name. S is for your Grandma Sue who's anxious to spend more time with you. L is your annoying cousin Leah who's waiting for you to visit her. E is for Esme, who needed to have a role in this as our friend. The Y, well the Y is because we didn't think double E's were appropriate. Aria is your mother's doing, she went through a classical phase." I said while gently rocking Kinsley as to not upset her stomach as she had just eaten. She released a big yawn and I laughed before going putting her inside her little crib.

"Yeah, it is a bit stuffy. It's too formal for such a young person. I think we need a nickname too. We'll discuss it later, but keep it between us for now. Goodnight, Ladybug." I was in love with somebody who was the same size as a small watermelon and honestly, she was perfect in every way. Rosalie definitely had competition.


	29. Chapter 29: The Proper Thing

**Tears….tears! I'm such a sap but I see no other way than to tell you. THIS IS IT. THE END. I'm so sad I feel like I'm sending off my first child to primary or something lol. Really though, this was my first story and now my favorite. I'm glad I was able to share it with you guys though. Who knew I would actually write something worth reading by so many people. Anyway, it's been great entertaining you guys. Thanks for all the reviews and I do mean ALL. The good, the bad, and the angry, but especially the ones that forced me to keep writing, asking for, no demanding, more. Every single one was greatly appreciated. Thank you Simrin for Americanizing my English. I know the a,e,z, and s' killed you every update. For those of you who have been following since the first post, thanks! And well, this is it. Enjoy your last chapter- Isis aka "PrettyPoshPrincess"**

**RPOV**

And I thought I hated being pregnant. That was nothing. That was a walk in the park compared to the hell we met yesterday when they released Kinsley and I from the hospital. As I lay in bed, listening to the sound of the shower running, I reflected on the past few hours with a slight case of goosebumps.

In a fresh diaper and recently fed, she was content to sleep the afternoon away and she did. She woke occasionally for feedings and a diaper change and I decided at that moment that if she was going to be this cooperative, I would just keep her on the schedule we started in the hospital. I said all of that to say this. It was merely a front, and boy she got us good.

I would just like to preface with the fact that people are huge liars who know nothing and should never give advice without full disclosure. I especially love how everybody gave pregnancy advice, but no one bothered to tell me what it would be like when she had finally come home. It was like an unspoken rule though. In retrospect, after last night, I was of the belief that living with a newborn could possibly be the best birth control you could ever have. Firstly, whoever said this breast feeding thing was easy lied. It's a really painful experience after just having given birth for the first time. I fear this may take more than a few days to get used to. And the worst part was, you couldn't even blame her for any of it. No, this was all on you. Secondly, and most importantly, always, and I do mean ALWAYS, expect the unexpected.

Our first night home was straight crazy and I don't mean crazy as in crazy fun…no that'd be too easy. I mean crazy! The padded cell, loony bin, rocking backwards and forwards and crying for your mama kind of crazy. In all the time we'd had her, she was the best-behaved newborn you had ever come across. She was quiet as a mouse, chill to the point of freezing, and she slept practically all day. That should have been my first warning. Neither Bee nor I were quiet people. In all the excitement, that failed to click. But now that we had been successfully manipulated by a three day old infant, I would forever know better.

Bee and I were bragging and proud at what an incredibly easy baby we had produced. This whole thing was going to be a breeze. When the nurses told me "Sleep now, because it's the last bout of proper sleep you'll have for months!" I thought "Whatever idiot.." And, we, both Bee and I, sat up looking at the baby for hours. Mistake! This was where my mother's expertise should have been applied, during the hospital stay. Hey, she was old. Maybe her recollection of time frames was a little off.

Around ten, we headed off to bed already tired and ready to call it a night. Rocko had already familiarized himself with Kinsley's scent after trailing behind me all day. I guess he missed me after all the time away. He seemed to have taken on the job of protecting her too, though so it was a good thing. Putting Kinsley in her bassinet, we climbed into bed and lay there enjoying the silence as we waited to fall asleep. Not even an half an hour later, just as we were on the cusp of sleep, Kinsley awoke with a vengeance.

In the highest pitch I could register she screamed her head off until she was flushed and her ears were bright red. It was then that I resigned myself to the fact that there was now a valid reason for #TeamNoSleep on Twitter. We were officially pulling an all-nighter. Only this time, neither of us would be studying or making late night trips to a dining hall. No this was different. We had successfully made the transition from study dates to diaper duty and it had only taken six years, two and a half months, and a blonde baby to do it. Great, now to get through this week then we could figure out the next eighteen years.

**BPOV**

I don't know if you know this, but babies, especially newborn infant babies, are incredibly obnoxious. Of course, you wouldn't know that given the previous behaviors of said baby but we aren't going to dwell on that. That would be unfair. We are, however, going to dwell on the fact that I just got my ass handed to me by somebody that can't even gurgle out a coherent word, let alone a sentence.

"Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Is all I heard for two hours straight last night. Of course, as was our immediate reaction, we picked her up. And she cried and cried and cried, even louder and more tortured than before. At that point Rosalie couldn't take it anymore and passed her off my way thinking that was going to fix it. The only problem is, I think this baby may have a part of Mommyzilla in her, because I now know she hates me when she's cranky. Still, we had to do something.

"What do are we doing wrong?!" Rosalie said in a panic voice covering her ears slightly as if that really blocked out the sound. Good luck with that.

"What are we supposed to do?" Neither of us could figure it out. This wasn't one of her normal cries, the small whimpers that alerted you to some kind of general baby discomfort. Oh no, this was like an opening to a glam rock ballad on full blast. So we employed the list of possible solutions. We rocked, we shushed, we rocked, we put her back in the bassinet, we took her back out of the bassinet, tried feeding her to no avail, and we finally tried to change the diaper in an attempt to end the discontent we had fallen prey to.

"Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" And you just knew the best was yet to come when you realize there is nothing you can do. No ma'am you can't do anything because like every other newborn alive, she takes pride in having her parents run around like sleep deprived chickens with their heads cut off. So we did what all logical, like-minded people would in our position. We cried too. Then we tried it all over again. Throughout the whole ordeal, Kinsley's cries took on a whole new form. Still loud and overly obnoxious, she had wailing to the most annoying hiccupping cry on record. I think it was safe to say, we were not prepared.

Finally, we were rescued by my mother who had conveniently disappeared and pretended not to hear any of this. I guess she wanted to give us the benefit of trying to figure it out, but still she could have come when I was crying for her, she is my mother after all. I suppose even a seasoned veteran could get aggravated after a while. Knocking on the door, she waited then entered and took Kinsley right out of my arms. She made us both get in bed and then she sat on the edge bouncing slightly, patting and rubbing up and down her back until she accomplished the ultimate goal. A burp and a quiet baby.

All of that nonsense was for a burp! It was obvious that neither of us could believe what had just happened from the way we looked at each other with our mouths wide open, pointing at the ridiculousness in front of us. Laying the baby down, mom changed her diaper and put her back inside the bassinet after swaddling her. With a normal, chipper "Goodnight," like that hadn't just happened, she left the room and went to bed.

In the time it took for me to turn off the bedroom light and turn on the night light we'd placed in the outlet plug next to Kinsley's bassinet, she was already asleep. I couldn't believe it. After all that time, all mom did was burp her and the baby out like a light, her lips forming a small O will she slept. And so, that was the story of how my traitor of a daughter manipulated us. Granted, it didn't end there. She woke up several more times throughout the night for feedings and diaper changes, but we never once forgot to burp again.

In this first night, we both learned a lot about our little hellion. Like the fact that she would root as soon as she smelled Rosalie or felt the slight hint of a breast so we knew she'd have no problem latching on and getting her food, she liked the cold , which meant we had to bring out heavy blankets for us to use in the thick of a heat wave. But, we also knew, she liked the sound of my heart beat so I used that to my advantage while feeding her after Ro had pumped out enough milk to last for days. At least, at this point she wouldn't starve. Besides, Rosalie was more tired have I was having napped through the night while she was awake tending to the baby. It was the least I could do after five hours.

Now it was six in the morning and we finally got some peace. I had the day off, but tomorrow I'd be back at work while Rosalie spent the next year consumed in our baby 24/7. In a few more weeks, my mom will go home and the real work will begin. After last night, I was certain I would be crying hysterically, begging her not to go, fingers nails dragging along the floorboards, as I clutched onto her pants leg, begging her not to leave us alone with the baby.

But, it all felt kind of silly in the light of day after an hour of down time. Kinsley was asleep again. It was daytime after all! Rosalie, just like her hyperactive daughter, was dead to the world and I decided to go start on breakfast. If my chart was right, Kinsley would be up within the next hour for another go round and both she and her mother needed to eat. Not surprisingly, my mother was already prepping breakfast and her pancakes were a thousand times better than my own, so I let her go for it.

Going back upstairs, I showered, intent on enjoying the quiet in solidarity while it still existed. As soon as I walked out of the bathroom, Rosalie got up to go in and told me in no certain terms that I wasn't touching her again for a very long time, which could quite possibly mean never. I didn't let on that, right now, the idea of sex and any activity that led to more babies was utterly repulsive. I wasn't exactly trying to burn a bridge if I decided I did want to explore the things underneath those pretty dresses she likes so much, sometime in the distant future.

Over breakfast, my mother told us that she thought we were doing very well . Of course, I knew she was on old people meds so I let it slide. In her eyes, I was doing well already because I had done the proper thing and owned up to my mistakes and responsibilities. That to her, was the most important value she instilled in her children. Perhaps out of wisdom or sheer mockery, she also said "Don't worry Bee, it gets easier." And the fact is, she's right. It will eventually get easier…in about five to six months. Until then, I was resorting to my original motto, FUCK. Excuse me, I'm a parent now, FREAK. MY. LIFE. That would take some getting used to but I had a feeling this was going to be a great story to tell Kinsley someday.


	30. Read Me!

**Hiya! I'm back in London after weeks in Alexandria just in time for Wimbledon and Festival. My grandparents don't speak a word of English. It was nice to see some of my family and experience a part of my heritage though. I can honestly say, I don't envy them the heavy clothing and black headdresses. Anyway, as always, I'm happy that you all liked my final chapter and the story overall. I appreciate all your reviews. As far as stories go, someone enlisted my help to finish her story which should be done in a few more chapters. Because of you all, a sequel to this story is a possibility that I'm exploring. I'm not sure on the details yet, but I'm brainstorming. If I do one of course, Simrin will help out with translation. (Thanks, Love.) Even if I decide not to do one, I have three other stories I am going to begin very soon. Until then, peace, love and long live Chelsea. –Isis**


End file.
